Yorkshire school leaders meet in Leeds to discuss academies and education cuts

School leaders, teachers, governors and MPs from across the region will meet today for a summit that will see delegates discuss academisation and the impact real-terms cuts to funding is having on schools.

The Yorkshire Schools Summit in Leeds will see the General Secretary of the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT), Paul Whiteman, argue that schools are being hit hard by the

Government’s underfunding, with the union claiming that 1,623 out of 1,921 schools in Yorkshire will face cuts and the region will see a £112m loss by 2020.

It comes after a survey released by the NAHT yesterday revealed that 65 per cent of school leaders ‘strongly agree’ that cutbacks have already had a negative impact on the performance of their school. And only eight per cent said they did not foresee a year where they would have an untenable deficit.

Mr Whiteman said: “Government funding is not keeping pace with inflationary pressures resulting in real-terms funding cuts. Schools are falling into debt.”

Coun Lisa Mulherin, the executive board member for children and families at Leeds City Council, will speak about the effect of funding cuts on the city’s schools.

Hemsworth MP Jon Trickett will address delegates about the collapse of Wakefield City Academies Trust, which announced last September it would cease running 21 Yorkshire schools.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Thanks to our reforms and the hard work of teachers, standards are rising in our schools. By 2020, core school funding will rise to a record £43.5bn – the Institute of Fiscal Studies has confirmed that by then per pupil funding will have increased more than 70 per cent since 1990.

“The new national funding formula means that, if implemented in full, local authorities in Yorkshire will receive £123.5m extra funding for schools.”