Funding cuts will hit 15 Teesdale primary schools

FIFTEEN primaries in Teesdale stand to lose thousands of pounds a year in a funding shake-up that will hit small schools the hardest.
County education bosses have worked out how national funding reforms will affect schools and conclude that “radical solutions” will be needed for some to survive.
Durham County Council also says it will need to consider long-term implications for school organisation “in particular the number of small mainstream schools”.
Primaries across Teesdale will be left a total of £79,000 worse off every year by a system that will give more money to schools that have more pupils. Overall, projections show that County Durham is likely to get more than £6million extra under the proposed national funding formula. But out of 17 primaries in Teesdale, all but two will have a grant reduction ranging from £1,000 a year for Staindrop to £11,000 at Montalbo school. Meanwhile, Staindrop Academy is expected to be £23,000 worse off every year, but Teesdale School is predicted to get £20,000 extra.
Most of the faith schools would lose funding, according to a council report. For primary schools, 111 out of 215 in County Durham would see a reduction in funding with 101 increasing. For secondary schools, 21 would have a reduction and ten would see a rise. The report comes just months after county officers attacked the government’s initial proposals, saying that national funding changes could mean some small schools will close.
Last week, the council published its latest report, written by John Hewitt, the county’s director of resources, and Margaret Whellans, corporate director of children and young people’s services.
It said: “This will be disappointing news for a number of schools and governing bodies who were hoping for more significant regional distribution of funding. Many of these schools will need to consider some radical collaborative solutions.”
The report added: “Looking at the implications for schools in the county, the most significant impact of applying the National Funding Formula would be to give more funding to larger schools.”
Rural areas could be worse hit by the changes.
The council said: “Small schools are likely to suffer from the reduction in the lump sum and won’t get sufficient additional funding through the increased pupil-led funding to compensate.”
Mr Hewitt and Ms Whellans said about half of primary and secondary schools could see reductions in funding, but said this position could change by the time that the national formula come into force in two years’ time.
The new funding arrangement includes sparsity funding for rural schools but the council’s report said “the allocation is at a relatively low level”.