More council-run schools end year in debt

More Cambridgeshire County Council-run schools ended the financial year in debt compared to last year "due to extra spending on high needs support", a report revealed.

The Cambridgeshire Schools Forum heard 37 maintained schools ended 2024-25 in deficit compared to 31 last year.

Martin Wade, the council's strategic finance manager, said this was "unsurprising" because increased staff costs had "not been met with increased funding".

There were also calls for any staff pay increase to be fully funded by government. The Department for Education has since committed to paying 3% of next year's 4% pay award.

It has also been asked to comment on maintained schools running into debt.

Of the 69 maintained schools that had submitted their budgets for the upcoming year, 57 had proposed using reserves to balance their books, Mr Wade told the forum on Wednesday.

The forum gives schools greater involvement in the distribution of funding.

Helen Brook, from the National Education Union, said it had been a "catastrophic" year for school redundancies and restructures.

The meeting also heard from school leaders concerned about paying for increased costs.

Sasha Howard, head teacher at Meldreth Primary School between Cambridge and Royston, said delays getting top-up funding for children with extra needs meant her school was having to pay out of its own budget for the necessary support.

Mr Wade said there had been delays in completing assessments and he recognised the impact this was having.

Jonathan Culpin, chief executive of Anglian Learning multi-academy trust which includes 18 schools, told the meeting about the impact possible staff pay increases could have on school budgets if they were not fully funded by government.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said she would accept the independent teachers' pay body recommendation of a 4% pay award.

Schools would be expected to find the first 1% of that award, the government said.

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