Village schools ‘are at risk of extinction’

A FUNDING squeeze is putting the future of village schools at risk, headteachers warned yesterday.

They said thousands of small primaries in England had funding problems. They could be forced to cut curriculums, share staff and resources, join trusts or even close.

The Association of School and College Leaders says sites with 600 pupils or fewer will ‘fall off a cliff’ without new money.

‘At some smaller schools, the funding will become such that they would not be able to support their teaching infrastructure,’ said Malcolm Trobe, ASCL interim general secretary.

‘They will not be financially viable. One-form entry primary schools and three to four-form entry secondary schools, are going to find it extremely difficult, especially in low-funded education authorities. This size of school is quite common and they are under real threat.

‘They are going to find it extremely difficult to provide a full curriculum and maintain the support staff infrastructure needed to run the school.

‘It’s all down to the cost pressures that have come home to roost, the unfunded pay rises, national insurance costs and pension contributions.’

There have been delays to the publication of the Government’s longawaited national funding formula, which is due to be introduced in 20182019. The overhaul of school spending is expected to distribute money more fairly across the country.

A Department for Education spokesman said the schools budget had been protected and, at £40billion, was the highest on record.