Headteachers in England doubling up as caretakers as funding hits rock bottom'

"Seven in 10 schools are struggling with real-terms cuts to their budgets since 2010 1,200 more than last year according to the Stop School Cuts coalition, which has been monitoring school funding levels for almost a decade. Research by the coalition, which is made up of three education unions, school governors and a parents' charity, found more than 1,000 schools had suffered cumulative real-terms cuts in excess of 1m each, with Essex, Birmingham and Kent among the hardest hit areas."

"Chris Ashley-Jones, the executive headteacher of Hitherfield primary school in south London, is having to double up as a lollipop man because he has insufficient support staff to fill the role. He has also just taken on the role of designated safeguarding lead. This year things have got as bad as I've seen in my nearly 20 years of headship, he said. Across schools in Lambeth I'm seeing exhausted staff, morale is low and we are seeing more and more dilapidated school buildings across the borough."

Seven in ten schools in England have suffered real-terms budget cuts since 2010, with 1,200 more schools affected than the previous year, according to the Stop School Cuts coalition. More than 1,000 schools have faced cumulative real-terms reductions exceeding £1m, with Essex, Birmingham and Kent among the worst affected. Funding shortfalls combine with rising costs for building maintenance, special educational needs, staffing, food and energy to strain school operations. Headteachers are taking on duties such as crossing patrols and designated safeguarding roles while schools cut support staff and services and increasingly rely on parent–teacher associations for essentials.

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