Are schools heading for a four-day week?

Parents warned of cuts to cope with rising costs

SCHOOLS are threatening to introduce four-day weeks amid a ‘catastrophic’ squeeze on budgets.

Some may restrict timetables and more than half plan to slash staff and increase class sizes due to rising costs and ‘insufficient’ Government funding.

The warning from the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) was condemned by parent groups, who claim shortening weeks would betray pupils.

ASCL surveyed 630 headteachers and business leaders about funding cuts and found 17 – 2.7 per cent – are ‘considering’ a fourday week. Almost 60 per cent could reduce their teaching workforce and make classes larger without more funding.

Four in ten are considering reducing curriculum options and nearly all (98 per cent) said their school or college will have to make savings this year, future years or both.

Some secondaries are facing extra costs of up to £500,000 this year. They are affected by rising energy bills and staff pay awards.

Arabella Skinner, director of parent pressure group UsForThem, said: ‘That school leaders are in a position where they have to contemplate a four-day week is a betrayal of our children...

‘Parents are in despair as to what this means for their children’s education, and also the impact this will have on their ability to hold down their jobs as we enter a cost of living crisis.’ ASCL general secretary Geoff Barton said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt must ‘ make education a priority by improving the level of funding in their forthcoming financial plans’.

He added: ‘School leaders in this survey use words such as catastrophic and devastating to describe the financial situation they are facing and the

‘A betrayal of pupils’

impact on their pupils.’ The Department for Education said last night headteachers should plan budgets in line with the minimum expected 32.5-hour week, or 190 days, of teaching a year.

A spokesman said: ‘ We understand that schools are facing cost pressures which is why we are providing schools with £53.8billion this year in core funding, including a cash increase of £4billion for this financial year.’