20 April 2007
Schools in deprived areas are not getting the extra money they need, London Councils has said in a report designed to influence the government's consultation on education funding.
The April 16 report, Smarter funding for schools, argues that the system is based on historical funding levels, with a focus on protecting schools from income fluctuations due to changes in pupil rolls. As a result, it does not take adequate account of the extra cash needed for schools with high numbers of poor children.
London Councils chair Merrick Cockell said: 'More money is being put into education [but] it is not being targeted where it is most needed. This is preventing our poorest children getting the best out of their education and taking the opportunity of escaping poverty through achieving better exam results.'
A senior source at LC told Public Finance that it was particularly concerned that the Department for Education and Skills seemed more concerned with very small pockets of deprivation in otherwise affluent areas and schools, rather than in schools in which large numbers of children were deprived.
'Deprived children anywhere are important,' said the source. 'But arguably there is a multiplying effect in schools where there are a lot of deprived pupils – the deprivation is greater than the sum of the parts.'
The report gives examples of how deprivation can affect a child's educational attainment: they are more likely to be absent from school; over-crowding at home and lack of parental support can prevent them from concentrating on homework; and a deprived local area can create a poverty of aspiration. Children with poor English language skills might also struggle in the classroom.
'Before final decisions are made about the future of education funding, the DfES needs to examine the failure of the current grant system in targeting sufficient funding to those areas which have the greatest pupil need,' says the report.
PFapr2007
