Dear Parent/Carer
You may have heard that head teachers of hundreds of the country’s primary and secondary schools have recently written to parents to warn of the imminent education funding crisis and to ask parents to make sure this subject is pushed up the political agenda. At a time when many different services are competing for funding, those of us with an interest in education need to make our voices heard.
Now that a general election is upon us, I have decided to follow this lead and ask you to consider contacting all the candidates standing for Parliament in the South Dorset and West Dorset constituencies (depending on where you live) and to ask them how their party will ensure our children continue to be taught in schools that are adequately funded.
Whatever happens under the new funding formula, the details of which we do not know, many schools are facing real terms funding cuts because the costs associated with running a school have increased. There have been increases in National Insurance and pension contributions and the introduction of an apprenticeship levy along with a reduction in the government’s education services grant, used for school improvement and forward planning.
As a result schools are facing very real financial challenges. Funding the everyday running costs as well as providing additional services such as speech and language therapy, mental health support and counselling is increasingly difficult.
All Saints is no exception and is experiencing these pressures. I believe it is a matter of urgency that parents and teachers contact all the political parties so politicians of all parties, whether they end up in government, opposition or with no representatives at Westminster, are left in no doubt that the proper funding of education and children’s services is an important issue to many, many voters.
Thank you for reading this and may I assure you of the continued commitment the staff at All Saints have to the education of your child.
Yours sincerely,
Kevin Broadway.
