Teesdale primary schools face budget cuts of up to £43,000

SMALL primary schools in Teesdale will face a tough year balancing their books if authority plans get the nod.

Bowes Hutchinson’s primary school is looking at a £43,000 hit to its budget if cabinet members at Durham County Council pass moves to change funding formulas today (Wednesday).

Forest of Teesdale has been earmarked for £17,000 cut – 7.5 per cent of its budget, while Woodland and Butterknowle schools face reductions of £15,000 and £20,000 respectively.

The chairwoman of Bowes Hutchinson’s governors, Elisabeth Airey, said small rural schools were “taking the hit” with the changes to funding but added the school had its budget in hand.

She added: “We have been quite fortunate in having quite a good financial situation in Bowes – we always manage to set a budget and we are aware it’s likely to be squeezed year on year.”

Elsewhere, Ingleton primary school has been lined up for a £8,000 cut and Cotherstone will be handed a £2,000 hit if proposals get the green light.

The council has pointed to the widespread changes anticipated for schools under the new national funding formula in 2020/21 as the reason for its “transitional arrangement”.

Small schools will feel the pinch more with funding based more on pupil numbers with pupil premium grants likely to be taken up by larger more urban establishments.

The council report warned there are likely to be “consequential restructuring” and “potential redundancies” in schools where funding is reduced.

Teesdale’s more urban primary schools haven’t escaped the funding axe either with Green Lane primary school facing a £15,000 budget cut and Evenwood primary school looking at 2.9 per cent reduction in funding of £17,000.

But there was better news for Hamsterley and Ramshaw schools which were both given cash boosts under the plans alongside Toft Hill, Cockfield, Staindrop and Montalbo primary schools.

To combat the changes, county officials have indicated a move towards more federated schools, partnerships and shared headteachers to save on individual salaries of about £40,000 to £50,000 a year. Closures have not been ruled out either.

The headteacher of Butterknowle primary school, Tessa Fenoughty, gave an impassioned plea for more support for rural schools at last month’s Teesdale Action Partnership meeting.

Chairwoman of the governors at Butterknowle Klara Whiley appreciated the county council had to make cutbacks but did not welcome the idea of shared headteachers. She said: “In our village we need to have that person on site. Tessa is teaching and she knows the parents and their situations. On the other hand we do not want to be scaremongering either – we need to improve our schools and parents around here come to choose a school we have to say this is what we have to offer.”

Mrs Whiley said she would be in touch with MP Helen Goodman to ask the government to reconsider the NFF changes.

She added: “All we are trying to do is the best to promote the school to try to up our numbers.

“But we cannot just magic children up around here – there are knock-on effects with affordable housing and trying to get young people to stay in the village and get homes.”

The dedicated schools grant from central government has lined up £4.19million for County Durham schools in 2018/19 with an extra £3.55million added for pupil number changes.

However, concerns have spread over inflation and pay awards outstripping this sum.

The dale’s secondary schools, Teesdale and Staindrop Academy, are expected to receive more money in 2018/19 but Staindrop is forecast to see its budget fall under the 2020/2021 changes.

Cllr Richard Bell said the county council should be doing more to use what discretion it has to dampen the effects on the “losers” under the new formula.

He added: “‘Winners’ include Teesdale School and Toft Hill but overall, because we have a lot of small primaries, they are hit by the reduction in ‘lump sum’ funding paid to all schools regardless of size.

“That’s why I have been lobbying government not to reduce the lump sum. The thrust of the new policy is clear: money follows the pupil, not the building.”