Heads seek 'fairer' school funds

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School leaders say some secondary schools in deprived areas of England receive less funding per pupil than those in better-off areas.

Calculations by the Association of School and College Leaders suggest the difference could be £270,000 a year for an average-size school of 900 pupils.

At its annual conference in London this weekend, the union will call for a "fairer funding system" for schools.

Ministers say tackling deprivation is at the heart of their funding policy.

The ASCL analysed figures on schools in England from the Department for Education and Skills by looking at the numbers of children receiving free school meals and levels of funding.

It found that 25% of schools with low deprivation - classed as having between zero and 8% of pupils receiving free meals - receive nearly the same amount as 25% of schools with high deprivation (30-50% on free meals).

Free meals entitlement

The organisation looked at schools at the highest and lowest end of each scale - the best-funded low deprivation schools and the worst-funded high deprivation schools - and found the difference to be about £300 per pupil.

It argues this means an average size school of 900 pupils with about 4% on free meals receives £270,000 more from its local authority than the same sized school, presumably in a different authority, with approximately 40% eligible for free meals.

The enormous differences between different local authorities are unacceptable Malcolm TrobeASCL president

ASCL president Malcolm Trobe, who is also head of Malmesbury School in Wiltshire, will tell delegates at the annual conference on Friday that there is not a fair funding system across England and that the government needs to address that.

"The enormous differences between different local authorities are unacceptable in a national education system," he said.

"Pupils in some areas of the country, often the most vulnerable ones who need the extra support, are losing out."

Hugh Bellamy, the head teacher at George Pindar Community Sports College, in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, said the present system meant his school was penalised because it served a deprived area in a well-off county.

"We are in the only area of high deprivation in North Yorkshire and the county is the third wealthiest in the country.

"We serve a ward which is in the top 5% of most deprived wards in the country," he told the BBC News website.

'Massive difference'

"So counties like North Yorkshire get fairly low levels of funding and we get around £3,000 a head in our school while schools in areas of similar deprivation - such as in Birmingham - get £1,000 more.

"With 870 pupils here it would be an extra £1m and we could make a massive difference with that."

Mr Bellamy said the school was working with the community to improve people's lives but could do more if it had greater funding, such as reduce class sizes and employ more learning mentors.

Education Secretary Alan Johnson, who will be at the conference on Friday, will be told that funding should be based on a clear understanding of what pupils are entitled to.

A spokesperson for the Department for Education and Skills said tackling deprivation was at the heart of the school funding policy but councils did not always pass on the funds correctly.

"We are continuing to work with local authorities to ensure that they properly reflect deprivation in their funding formulae.

"And alongside this we are consulting on measures that will increase their flexibility to target schools in deprived areas."