Primary schools at breaking point

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Primary Schools in Powys are at “breaking point” with parents expected to fork out money to fund teaching.

The claims were made at the Audit Committee where fears that primary schools could follow secondary schools in to the red, were discussed.

Committee chairman, Cllr John Morris, said that he had already taken concerns from the committee about school budgets to cabinet earlier this month.

There, he had secured a promise of a “State of the Nations” review of school budgets from Education portfolio holder, Cllr Myfanwy Alexander.

Cllr Emily Durrant (pictured) believes that children living in a richer area will get better education than those in a poorer area.

Cllr Durrant said: “If we see what’s happening in secondary schools happening in primary schools then we are in a really really bad situation.

“The idea we can further transform our primary schools is just madness.

“I can’t think of a headteacher, certainly in my area (Llangorse near Brecon), who is not spending most of their time teaching already.

“Class sizes are at maximum, I appreciate it might be different across the whole of Powys.

“They are at breaking point and what’s upsetting is the constant draining of parents.

“It’s difficult for me to donate here, there and everywhere.

“But for some people it’s impossible which means that we’re getting stratification again.

“The school budgets comes down to how affluent the area is, which is absolutely wrong.

“It should not be that we’re draining people in the most hard up parts of Powys,trying to get funding just to pay teachers salaries, it’s not fair.

“We’re in a really dangerous situation with primary school and I want to see pushback on that.”

Finance portfolio holder, Cllr Aled Davies, pointed out that a new “fairer” funding formula was on the horizon.

Cllr Davies said: “That would give us what the minimum funding should be.

“And there will be gainers and losers in that process.

Cllr Davies went on to say that the changes would show whether some schools were trying to do “too much” with their budgets by providing a wide range of subject choices.

Cllr Davies added: “That would give us a clear understanding of where overspends or underspends are happening in schools.”

“There been an additional £1 million for schools in the budget and that still stands, but there are significant increases such as pensions which soon gobbles up the funding.”

Committee chairman, Cllr John Morris, added: “Primary schools have utilised their service budgets and they are tipping into the red.

“We’re pinning all our hopes on a funding formula that’s got to work.

“I hope we manage it.”