Hammersmith & Fulham Council has written to every school in the borough inviting parents and guardians to join the fight against the government’s planned funding cuts.
We’re holding a public meeting on Tuesday 28 February where you can find out more – and how you can help.
Letter to parents and guardians from Councillor Stephen Cowan (pdf)
Headteachers and parents are backing our campaign against the plans which would see H&F’s school finances slashed.
Crisis point
Approximately 50 headteachers have sent a letter to the government urging ministers not to cut vital funding. Headteachers say the cuts come in the middle of a ‘perfect storm’ of rising costs, cuts to other financial support and a shortage of teachers – they add that education is ‘potentially at crisis point’.
Headteachers’ Statement of Concern: Hammersmith & Fulham (pdf)
“Headteachers and parents are just as worried as we are about this threat to children’s education,” said Cllr Sue Fennimore.
“We’re determined to ensure our schools are properly funded for the sake of young people now and in the future.”
The three per cent cut will have a massive impact on local schools.
How you can help
You can help us fight the cuts by:
- Completing the government consultation. You can find more details and how to respond at lbhf.gov.uk/fairfunding.
- Attending our public meeting at Hammersmith Town Hall on Tuesday 28 February at 7pm.
Rising costs
The proposed cuts, which are part of the government’s National Funding Formula Scheme, come at a time when the costs of running a school are already rising. In the last three years they’ve risen by 10 per cent.
In small primary schools, this financial burden would be over £100,000 per year – the equivalent of at least two teachers. In a secondary school this would mean an even larger financial squeeze, with much less available to spend on children’s education.
“If schools’ budgets are cut, at a time when costs are increasingly significantly, it can only have a negative effect on the education that we are able to deliver,” said Peter Haylock, chair of H&F’s Schools’ Forum.
“We will not be able to employ the number of high quality teachers and leaders that we need to be able to maintain standards.”
