Ealing Labour Party

Julian Bell calls for more school cash

11/4/11

Ealing Council’s Labour leader Cllr Julian Bell has signed an open letter calling on the Government to rpovide more funding for school places in London after it was revealed that the shortage of school places across the capital has become critical with a predicted shortfall of around 70,000 over the next four years. Ealing will have a shortfall of equivalent to between 34 and 40 classes by 2014/15. The letter can be found here http://bit.ly/dKwsiZ. The Labour administartion has put £45m of the council’s money towards providing new school places however given the current squeeze in council funding this level of spending will be difficult to maintain.

The shortage is largely concentrated in primary schools but begins to feed through into secondary schools in the 2014/15 school year. According to data from 33 London boroughs, the 70,000 shortfall in permanent school places increases sharply over the next four years, from around 10,000 in the current school year to around 18,500 in the 2014/15 school year. Currently around 11,000 pupils, mainly in Reception to Year 2 classes, are being taught in temporary classrooms such as portacabins because local authorities have received insufficient funding for permanent school places.

The Government has only announced 2011/12 funding allocations so far. London received £210 million but needs around £520 million to ensure every London pupil has a permanent school place in 2011/12 – that is a shortfall of around £310 million.

London’s problem is compounded by the distribution of funding. In 2011/12 London has only been allocated 26 per cent of the available funding for school places despite having 64 per cent of the shortfall in places. The low amount of funding provided to London in 2011/12 reflects the fact that the Government did not take into account the existing capacity of schools in an area to meet any increase in pupil numbers. Because of the much higher pressure on school places in London in recent years, London has significantly fewer surplus places than other regions.

The situation has become serious due to a combination of factors including the rising birth rate and the sluggish property market which has meant that fewer families are moving out of London and the changing demographic of the capital.