‘Significant number’ of Cambridgeshire schools in financial difficulties and some face making ‘unpalatable decisions’

A “significant number” of Cambridgeshire schools are in financial difficulties with one school leader telling a meeting that some face having to make “unpalatable decisions”.

A schools forum on 7 March heard there is an increasing number of deficits being reported by both maintained schools and academies. A Cambridgeshire County Council officer said there were a few issues creating “challenges” for school budgets – the amount of government funding was not meeting the increases in costs being faced, and the increased numbers and complexity of children with high needs was also putting pressure on school finances.

The officer said funding high-needs support was a factor that was “pushing some schools over the edge” and into deficits. The meeting heard changes in the number of pupils across the county was also impacting the sustainability of schools.

The officer said: “We know we have got a significant number of schools in financial difficulties. At the moment 33/34 maintained schools are in deficit.

“Some schools have got very robust recovery plans and are continuing to deliver those, other schools, due to individual circumstances, there is not an obvious solution as it stands on how to get out of a deficit position in the next couple years.”

The officer said the council is working on improving the intervention process for schools facing a deficit but stressed this was a “challenging situation” for all schools, including academies.

Mark Woods, trustee and CEO at Meridian Trust, which is responsible for 31 academies including North Cambridge Academy and Trumpington Park Primary School, said there is a “systemwide problem”.

He said the budgets for the next year were looking “considerably worse” than this year and schools were likely to be faced with “one of two things” – a “completely unsustainable budget”, or “having to make cuts to schools”.

He said: “I was very keen for us to have this item on the agenda today because I don’t think it is acceptable and I don’t think it is right that we shouldn’t be shouting out very loudly at this point.”

Jonathan Culpin, CEO Anglian Learning multi-academy trust, which is responsible for 18 academies including Sawston Village College and Marleigh Primary Academy, said schools were facing having to make “unpalatable decisions” and that MPs in the area needed to lobby for better school funding.

He said: “MPs do actually need to hear just how desperate the situation is and lobby a lot harder in Parliament for an adequate level of funding and appropriate funding for Cambridgeshire.”