Disadvantaged kids across South London to lose £4 million in government “stealth cuts” to education

South London schools will miss out on almost £4 million of funding for disadvantaged kids after the government changed their policy.

Schools receive £1,345 for every primary age pupil or £955 for every secondary age pupil who claim free school meals to help them with their progress and improve their exam results.

But the government has announced that they will make these calculations from the number of eligible pupils in October 2020, and will not count any pupils that have become eligible since then.

Schools in Southwark will be the worst hit by the changes, as 1,113 pupils have become eligible for free school meals since the cut off.

This means schools in the borough will miss out on an estimated £1,279,950 in funds.

Lambeth is the second worst hit with schools losing out on an estimated £680,800.

The change in policy has been criticised by the National Education Union (NEU) and Streatham MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy.

Sara Tomlinson, a district secretary for the NEU in Lambeth, said that schools in the area had seen huge cuts in the last few years which hit families living in challenging circumstances the hardest.

She said: “On top of this we now find that a change to the pupil premium funding process could see Lambeth schools lose almost one million pounds in addition. 

“The government is not being honest bringing these changes in, whilst saying they are putting extra funds into schools.”

Other boroughs in South London will also suffer, with Hammersmith and Fulham set to lose an estimated £494,500, Sutton to lose £415,150, Merton to lose £522,100 and Bexley to lose £553,150.

Streatham MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy said: “Schools have really been struggling during the pandemic with the added costs of Covid, which they were largely left to meet by themselves.

“The Government’s stealth cuts to the pupil premium are quietly leaving children behind and leaving underfunded local schools to pick up the tab.

“Sadly, this is pretty typical of the Department for Education’s continued failings during the pandemic.

“They had to be shamed into feeding children over the school holidays. It’s clear they will have to be shamed into ensuring disadvantaged children receive the support they need to catch up too.”

Cllr Ed Davie, Lambeth Council Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “In the last year alone, our schools in Lambeth have provided excellent home-schooling support, in-school education for key worker children, ensured there was Covid-safe environments for learning on post-lockdown returns and pastoral care for our most vulnerable pupils throughout the pandemic.

“Lambeth schools have managed all this and more during a year and counting of pandemic-incompetence from the Tory government at large but in particular from the Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson.

“On top of the litany of callous policy decisions and U-turns when it comes to the education and wellbeing of our young people, and the government’s refusal to listen to councils like Lambeth and England footballer Marcus Rashford when it comes to the issue of Free School Meals, the Tories now want to reduce the level of funding for some of our most vulnerable students through changes to the Pupil Premium.

“In Lambeth, some of our most vulnerable students will be losing over half a million pounds due to an out-of-date calculation of those students who receive Free School Meals. The Government must fund our schools fairly for the work they do and not remove funding from some of our most disadvantaged pupils through the Pupil Premium by using an up-to-date calculation of Free School Meals numbers.”

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “We are working with parents, teachers and schools to develop a long-term plan to make sure all pupils have the chance to recover from the impact of the pandemic as quickly and fully as possible, and have invested £1.7 billion for this ambitious activity, including high-quality tutoring and summer school provision.

“We have also ensured schools continue accepting applications for free school meals throughout the pandemic, expanded our Holiday Activities and Food Programme to every local authority in England and announced our intention to extend the Breakfast Clubs programme to 2023 – all to support disadvantaged children.”

Pictured top: Bell Ribeiro-Addy visits Streatham Wells Primary School