Finchley’s MP is taking a group of head teachers to meet with the schools minister to make the case for Barnet’s schools in imminent changes to funding.
The National Funding Formula is being implemented to make savings in the schools budget in the UK, but various estimations concur Barnet will be impacted unfairly.
Cuts are expected to have been carried out in full by 2019, with Labour previously predicting Barnet would lose £23,181,571 – the equivalent of 622 teachers.
Mike Freer has arranged a meeting with schools minister Nick Gibb and local head teachers to discuss the proposed new formula for schools.
Under the New Funding Formula no school will face a reduction per pupil of more than 3% over two years when the new formula is implemented.
According to government figures, all but two Barnet schools will see a reduction of 1.4 per cent in funding each year for two years.
Mr Freer said: “I appreciate the concern raised by local head teachers and others about these proposals, which is why I oppose them in their current form.
“The government, quite understandably, is trying to address the imbalance in the funding allocated to London schools and those in the home counties.
“However, head teachers want to ensure consideration is given to the additional costs schools have incurred as a result of other progressive polices.
“I am grateful to Nick for giving up his time to come and meet with Schools from my constituency, at what I am sure will be a very helpful meeting.”
Schools are concerned the figures published by the government do not account for the costs of running a school, such as pay rises, the introduction of the new national living wage, higher employer national insurance contributions and the apprenticeship levy.
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