Looking ahead: worry over budget pressures
When we asked school leaders what they expect their biggest
challenge to be over the next 12 months, from a list of 14 possible
options, there was one stand-out area of concern. While for 19% it will
be teacher recruitment and retention (second place overall), and for
15% teacher workload (third place), it is budget pressure that looks
set to be the main challenge in the year ahead – with three in 10 (31%)
school leaders selecting this from our list.
We know that, with the proposed national funding formula, schools
may see their budgets change, but the increase to National Insurance
contribution rates, end of contracting out of pensions and introduction
of the living wage still mean that budgets have to stretch further.
Worry about budget pressures is more widespread in secondary
schools, where more than two-fifths (43%) of school leaders expect
it to be their greatest challenge in the coming year, compared to just
under a third (28%) of primary school leaders.
When looking at the results by region, budget pressures/lack of
funding is considered to be the biggest challenge ahead by most
school leaders up and down the country. Only those in the capital
bucked this trend, placing teacher recruitment and retention as the
top challenge on the horizon for their schools.
What governors think
Over a quarter (27%) of governors
expect budget pressures/lack
of funding to be the biggest
challenge over the next 12 months.
However, governors are up for
the challenge: 80% are confident
that their governing body can
manage any forthcoming funding
pressures and 92% are assured
that they can oversee the school’s
financial performance.
We are being asked to do more
and more with less money. Many
professionals are pushing things
back to schools, and we are
stretched already."
We will manage it
but it won’t be easy”
Headteacher
Governor
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State of Education Survey 2016 | www.thekeysupport.com
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