Fair funding for schools

Every school in Hammersmith & Fulham is facing substantial funding cuts because of:

• government plans to change the formula it uses to decide how much funding it gives each school
• rising costs which add to the real-terms cut to each schools' spending power.

Hammersmith & Fulham Council has written to every school in the borough inviting parents and guardians to have their say on the government’s planned funding cuts. Headteachers, governors and parents are backing our campaign.

Letter to parents and guardians from Councillor Stephen Cowan (pdf)

We held a public meeting on Tuesday 28 February to answer questions and provide more detail.

How you can help

You can help us fight the cuts by:

• Tell the government what you think: email the Sectretary of State for Education: greeningj@parliament.uk
• Set up your own local group and have a meeting - speak to your headteacher about their plans.
• Sign up to receive updates from the council - the form's at the bottom of this page.
• Find out what other parents are saying at www.fairfundingforallschools.org and sign their petition at change.org/fairfundingforallschools

See what our headteachers say

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)

“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.”

What does it mean for schools?

The three per cent cut will have a massive impact on local schools. It could mean:

• increased class sizes
• loss of teaching or support staff
• less support for children
• fewer subject choices
• fewer learning resources and out-of-school activities.

Schools have been working hard to make ends meet and to protect your child's education. But they're now asking for your support to make the case to the government to stop these planned budget cuts.

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.

You can see what we’ve said so far about the issue below: