Labour and Conservatives councillors across Barnet have agreed to work together and fight the government’s £20m school funding cuts.

In a children, education, libraries and safeguarding committee meeting on June 14, a cross party agreement was arranged to lobby government against £20m schools funding cuts.

This occurred following proposals for a new National Funding Formula, and its intention is to end any inequality in funding between schools in different regions.

However, the Government have not announced additional money to pay for this.

Figures from the National Union of Teachers, including adjustments for inflation show that Barnet could lose around 8.9 per cent of schools funding, which adds up to £20,940,368.32.

Head teachers from seven Barnet schools sent a letter to Barnet’s Labour group in April.

The letter read: “All of our schools are in an unsustainable position financially. There is no slack in our budgets and projections show that our budgets going forward are unsustainable.

“This is without taking into account changes Barnet are making with Unified Pay for support staff in maintained schools and the government's current consultation on school funding.

“All of ours schools have had to reduce staffing, not through recruiting, not through replacing staff leaving, and not renewing temporary contracts.”

Labour Councillor Anne Hutton of the Woodhouse ward, had previously said “cuts of this magnitude could devastate schools in Barnet” during a full council meeting in April.

On Tuesday June 14, Cllr Hutton said: “I do feel however that the Conservatives do not understand the full implications of the formula proposals as they currently stand, as they refused to accept the figures that have been calculated by the NUT, and amended my motion to remove the reference to 8.9% cuts - presumably for party political reasons.

“They also need to join us in making a strong argument for London in general, and outer-London in particular - not just Barnet - as many children in Barnet will attend schools just across the border in neighbouring boroughs, and we need to think of their education also."

Conservative Cllr Reuben Thompstone of Golders Green ward, who is also on the children, education, libraries and safeguarding committee said: “The £20m figure has not been provided by the Department of Education and is entirely speculative as the precise way the funding formula weightings are applied is yet to be published.

“I have spoken to numerous stakeholders on this matter to ensure there is awareness of how Barnet schools view this proposed change to funding.

“Both the Leader of Barnet Council and I have agreed to write to the Secretary of State for Education to advise of local Barnet features to consider when arriving at a precise formula.”