London Councils warns funding cuts will hit rising school standards in the capital

Government changes to education funding will undermine rising school standards in the capital, according to new analysis. 

The Department for Education is consulting on changes to the Education Services Grant (ESG), which funds a raft of critical services such as school improvement, education welfare services and supporting pupils with special educational needs. The consultation includes an intention to cut the ESG by at least 20 per cent in the next year.

London Councils, which represents London’s 33 local authorities, in its consultation response expressed concern that the proposed changes risk undoing the fabric that has delivered unrivalled and continued success in London to raise school standards and improve children’s outcomes. 

Through the London Challenge scheme, involving councils and schools working in partnership, London’s schools have been transformed from amongst the worst in England and Wales in 2003, to the best-performing today, even when taking deprivation into account. 

The proposed reduction of funding, amounting to £24 million in 2015/16, will limit the ability of local authorities to deliver school improvement services.

London Councils’ analysis notes the proposed changes outline a government vision that seeks to limit the local authority role in school improvement to support all schools. This is inconsistent with how parents see the council role, how Ofsted see the council role, and even how the government itself has said it sees the council role.

London Councils’ analysis also outlines a number of changes that could impact support available to pupils and to improve the quality of education in the capital:

• The proposed funding does not recognise the higher costs in London to deliver services. Ignoring the higher staff and delivery costs in London means ESG funding will not go as far to support schools and children in the capital as it would for other regions in England.  London Councils is calling on the Department for Education to include an “Area Cost Adjustment” for the capital that will reflect its higher costs.
• London has experienced the largest growth in the number of pupils with special education need (SEN) statements in England. Demand increased by seven per cent between 2009 and 2013 in London, compared to two per cent nationally. A reduction in funding for support services delivered through ESG for these children would go against rising demand. London Councils is urging Government to ensure that adequate funding is provided to reflect the growing numbers of pupils with SEN.
• Academies will continue to enjoy extra funding, amounting to £54 million nationally, in comparison to local authority maintained schools for the foreseeable future. The DfE has set out an intention to move towards equal levels of funding; London Councils calls on the government to speed up this process and set out a transparent timetable to put into effect. 

Mayor Jules Pipe, London Councils, said: 

London local government is determined that efficient and high quality education is delivered across London and has led the way in ensuring school and pupil outcomes continue to improve – the capital’s schools are now the best performing in England and Wales.

Parents, Ofsted and the law all see a local government role in supporting rising education standards.

The changes in the government’s consultation sit awkwardly with this and will result in confusion for parents about who is responsible for tackling performance issues in all local schools.

The Department for Education must ensure any changes are consistent and do not unfairly affect London parents, who are already worried about the looming school places crisis. 

London free school parents support LA oversight

As  Michael Gove's free schools policy comes under closer scrutiny London Councils publishes a survey that  shows the majority of free school parents would welcome local authority oversight. I hope that at their Spring Conference the Green Party will adopt a policy of integration of free schools and academies into a local authority school system with improved democratic accountability.
The London Councils statement:

The first survey of London parents’ attitudes to the new educational system reveals that a majority of parents (62 per cent) with children at a free school support councils having a role in dealing with underperforming free schools. This rises to 77 per cent of parents with children in a local authority maintained school who think local authorities should have powers of influence over maintained schools.

The YouGov attitudinal survey, commissioned by London Councils, which represents London’s 33 local authorities, provides evidence of high levels of support among parents for a local government role in taking action to ensure school standards remain high and children and young peoples’ interests are championed.

The majority of parents (76 per cent) support a council role in creating school places through having the ability to influence all schools in their area to find more school places or expand, and 95 per cent think the greatest pressure on places is in London.

The survey also found that:

• London is seen as the best performing region in terms of GCSE performance by London parents (77 per cent), followed by the south east (65 per cent) and the south west (42 per cent)
• 91 per cent of parents with a child at a free school think local authorities have an important role in ensuring high educational standards
• 78 per cent thought the council-run process of applying for a school place was ‘easy’ and 93 per cent got their child into one of their top three choices of schools – (with 72 per cent receiving their first place)
• After the new school system was explained, 53 per cent of parents said that the education system is under more central government control than they had thought previously, with 29 per cent thinking the system was under more local control – 19 per cent did not know.

London’s school situation in particular is of national significance. London requires 118,000 places by 2017 –  and London’s schools have been transformed from one of the UK’s worst performing regions to the highest, following the launch of London Challenge, a partnership of councils, schools and government, in 2003.

Cllr Peter John, London Councils’ Executive Member for Children and Young People, said:

“Parents have been clear in this survey how essential good council involvement is in their children’s education.  It’s especially striking that free school parents are so strong in their support for councils’ work.

“Parents are plainly worried about the school places crisis and want a clear role for councils to work in partnership with all schools so that every child has a place and to ensure school standards continue to rise.

“The government should work with councils to ensure that schools are accountable locally to the communities they serve.”