Funding boost for Powys schools facing deficits

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, December 17, Liberal Democrat/Labour councillors received a report that recommends a cash injection be given to the school’s delegated budget in bid to bring down predicted financial deficits in schools by over £10 million by the end of March 2027.

The total funding would be made up of £5.277 million to deal with immediate financial pressures on schools budgets which include more children attending special schools, pay award inflation and addressing this year’s funding gap of £1.838 million.

A further £2.1 million will also need to be put into next year’s council budget to deal with increases to teacher pensions, although there is an “expectation” that the Welsh Government will provide extra funding for this.

Cabinet member for education, Liberal Democrat Pete Roberts said: “This is one of the most important papers we have introduced for our schools as a whole in recent years.

“This is the culmination of two years solid work between officers, governors, the school budget forum, school leadership and cabinet and looks at how best to deliver their curriculum within the financial envelope that is available to them."

Director of education, Richard Jones said that support for schools to help them live within their budgets was “increasing” as is the “challenge” and he explained that ongoing work was being done to analysing “staffing” and “curriculum” in schools.

Dr Jones said: “This is to ensure schools are as efficient as can be or have a plan working towards that efficiency.”

Head of school improvement explained Anwen Orrells: “Our headteachers and governing bodies have worked exceptionally hard, and they have met the significant challenge we have given them to at least achieve in-year balanced budgets.”

Achieving this means that the cumulative deficit is not supposed to get worse.

Ms Orrells said: “However, we have got to acknowledge that our headteachers are at a point where there is no further room for manoeuvre.”

She added that tha ability for schools to improve and the teaching and wellbeing of school pupils is “really critical.”

“This funding is essential to ensure Powys learners get the best chances in life,” stressed Ms Orrells.

Deputy council leader Labour’s Councillor Matthew Dorrance said: “This is really positive that the council is investing in our children, and we should be very proud of that.

“I was very pleased to hear colleagues from scrutiny welcoming the investment cabinet is prepared to make while of course recognising it will ultimately be a decision for full council.”

He believed that the decision aligned to one of the “progressive” coalition one of the key priorities that was securing the best outcomes for young people in Powys.

“I think this goes some way to achieving that,” said Councillor Dorrance.

Councillor Dorrance added: “It’s a very positive thing to listen and change based on what experts are telling us.

“We’ve listened to the school budget forum, to governors and school leaders and they have all told us about the situation on the ground, it’s a real strength of this council to say it has heard this message and is prepared to make the investment required to support our children.”

Cabinet then went to a vote agreed the report and their recommendation to include he extra funding to schools will be included in the budget proposals that councillors will agree towards the end of February.

The extra money is predicted to bring down the cumulative deficits for the end of March 2026 from £7.588 million to £3.790 million.

And by March 2027, the predicted cumulative deficit of £15.784 million would also fall to £5.297million.

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