Lesson times cut to save energy costs, head teachers’ survey shows

SCHOOL heads are reducing lesson times to save on energy bills, new polling has revealed.

A survey by the NAHT school leaders’ union, ahead of its annual conference in Telford, found that on average, head teachers were expecting a 106 per cent surge in energy costs over the next year in their schools.

Some said they have had to cut spending on teaching and classroom assistants and have had to reduce lesson times, as well as having to lay staff off, to manage the sharp increase.

Heads reported that they were expecting to pay an extra £26,786 for energy – the equivalent of one teacher’s annual salary.

The polling, carried out between March 21 and April 5 with more than 1,000 respondents, showed that 99 per cent of heads were expecting their energy costs to increase over the next year, with 16 per cent expecting costs to increase by 200 per cent or more. More than a third of head teachers predicted a budget deficit by the end of next year as a result of higher energy bills.

Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said that for some schools, the energy price hikes are “equivalent to the cost of a full-time teacher”.

“Every penny spent in schools is a choice. These increased energy costs mean that money which could be spent on pupils is being paid to energy companies instead,” he added.

In total, 15 per cent of those polled said they were reducing the number of teachers or teaching hours to save money, while 30 per cent were cutting down non-educational support and services for pupils.

“We are hearing quite clearly from our members that rising energy costs will almost certainly have a negative impact on education, and could hamper their [Covid] recovery efforts,” Mr Whiteman warned.

School leaders also reported that “possible redundancies” or reducing staff absence cover could be a result of rising costs.

Some said they were resigning or had thought about leaving so that a cheaper head teacher could be recruited.

A Department for Education spokesman said: “We recognise schools may be facing cost pressures in the coming months, particularly where energy prices have increased, and we are looking carefully at how these rises will impact schools and are considering what additional support we could offer. Cost increases should be seen in the wider context of funding for schools.

“In 2022-23, core school funding will increase by £4billion compared with 2021-22, and this will help schools to meet wider cost pressures, including energy prices.

“All schools can access a range of tools to help them get the best value from their resources, including recommended deals for energy costs and services related to energy,” the spokesman added.