Council denies funding for school will be cut by 10%

CARDIFF council has denied the funding of Wales’ biggest secondary school will be cut by 10% as a meeting is called for parents to discuss its ongoing funding crisis.

The head of governors at Whitchurch High School in Cardiff wrote to parents last month that the school is facing the worst financial settlement in its history which could result in staff being made redundant.

Joyce Slack claimed in her letter the Penlline Road School is faced with a potential 10% cut to its budget.

But councillor Sarah Merry, cabinet member for education at Cardiff council, has said in another letter that claims about a 10 per cent funding cut are “simply not true.”

It comes as parents will get the chance to hear more about the school’s funding crisis at a public meeting later today. According to figures in councillor Merry’s letter, Whitchurch High has been given more money for its pre-16 pupils.

In 2018/19 the school will get £9.1m, up from £8.97m in the previous year.

But Whitchurch High did lose money for its sixth form. Its post-16 grant fell by almost £300,000 from £1,606,000 to £1,350,000 from 2017/18 to 2018/19,

That means the school’s total funding will fall by £125,000 - a drop of 1.19%.

But the letter also says the number of pupils at its sixth form dropped by 90 in one year - from 498 in 2017/18 to 408 in 2018/9.

Councillor Merry wrote: “Whitchurch High School has received its share of the available council resources for pre 16 pupils, which has increased.

“It has been affected by the cut in the Sixth Form grant from Welsh Government but this is partly due to a fall in sixth form pupil number of 18 per cent from 498 to 408, which could have been anticipated by the school.

“As you can see the suggestion that the budget has been cut by 10 per cent is simply incorrect.”

She added council officers are working with the school’s governors on Whitchurch High’s medium term financial plan.

Ms Slack’s letter said the pre-16 increase in funding is not keeping up with the growing number of pupils at Whitchurch High, while the school does not have enough funding to cover an expected two per cent pay rise for teachers being introduced across Wales.

Parents will get the chance to discuss the funding of Whithchurch High School and air their concerns at a public meeting from 6pm.

Councillor Jayne Cowan, who is among the seven Cardiff councillors organising the meeting, said there is “huge, widespread concern” about the future of the school. She said: “It’s rare that a school comes out so publicly on the council in this way. This is unprecedented. Schools don’t take this approach very often at all unless the situation is dire.”

The meeting will be held at the Sam Warburton Suite of the Deri Inn, Heol-Y-Deri, Rhiwbina.