Decisions on spending schools cash ‘ropey’

WHISTLEBLOWER: Claim heads are using £10m windfall for ‘ludicrous’ items

Fife head teachers need extra help to disperse millions of pounds in new funding to help the region’s poorest pupils, it has been claimed.

Almost £10 million has been given directly to kingdom schools by the Scottish Government to help them close the attainment gap.

Head teachers decide how to spend the money – up to £300,000 – but fears have been raised it is being targeted at the wrong areas.

A whistleblower told The Courier there were instances of money being spent on “ludicrous” items.

They said: “As long as they justify it the head teacher can spend it as they see fit. To my mind, these justifications are ropey at best.”

Fife Council said spending decisions are closely monitored.

Tighter controls should be imposed on how Fife head teachers spend millions of pounds amid claims some are not trained to cope with huge new budgets.

Schools across Scotland have been receiving a share of £120 million in Pupil Equity Funding since April, aimed at children most affected by the poverty related attainment gap.

The funding, which totals around £9.8m in Fife, has been distributed based on the number of pupils in P1 to S3 who receive free school meals.

Head teachers can use the cash for additional staffing or resources but sources have raised questions over how the money is being spent.

One whistleblower, who did not wish to be named, contacted The Courier claiming head teachers have been spending the cash on what they called “ludicrous” items and believes greater scrutiny should be applied.

The source said: “One school is spending the cash on a new depute head, and another seems to be spending it on iPads, TVs and laptops for the management team there. Others I’ve heard about have been spending it on ludicrous things.

“It’s scandalous giving money straight to a head teacher because they will always make sure they are sorted first.”

In response to the whistleblower’s claims, Shelagh McLean, head of service, said all schools in Fife have been issued with clear guidance by both the Scottish Government and Fife Council on how the funding can be spent.

“Through the education service all schools have been asked to prepare plans for spend that will be closely monitored by officers to ensure best value and impact for learners,” she added.

“The Scottish Government Guidance clearly states that funding must provide targeted support for children and young people affected by poverty to achieve their full potential.”

While not unhappy with the current arrangements, David Farmer, from the Fife EIS teaching union, suggested stronger scrutiny mechanism could be beneficial.

“What we would like is for each school to set up a committee within the school with trade union representation to discuss how this money is spent and to have some sort of oversight of how it’s spent,” he explained.

“There’s also a training issue as well as, and I don’t mean any disrespect by this, but head teachers may not be properly trained to disperse a budget of over £100,000.”

“It’s scandalous giving money straight to a head teacher because they will always make sure they are sorted first

It is claimed all schools in Fife have been issued with guidance on how the funding can be spent.