Summer holidays 2021
Support for children and young people and the role for schools
Keep early years safe and funded
We need urgent funding for early years and maintained nursery schools now to prevent closures in this vital sector.
National Funding Formula
Complex but important, how the National Funding Formula may change the funding for your school!
Government's Data Release on School Funding
The Government’s school funding website is of very little use to a parent wanting to understand the impact on their child’s school because it only makes a comparison between 2019-20 and 2020-21, and the figures are in cash rather than real terms.
Government school funding announcement
School funding announced today is not enough to reverse all of the cuts.
IFS on School Funding
Commenting on extra spending on education in England, an IFS analysis published today, Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary NEU, said: “The impartial and highly respected Institute for Fiscal Studies have highlighted again the scale of cuts to school budgets over the last 10 years."
Save maintained nursery schools
Maintained Nursery Schools (MNS) are under threat of closure due to chronic underfunding by the Government.
Together for education
Schools have lost out on £5.4 billion since 2015. Ninety-one per cent have had their per pupil funding cut. Colleges have lost out even more.
We are the NEU
Watch and share: our members tell the real story of the school cuts that are devastating schools and colleges - and why joining NEU is the way forward.
Schools forced to cut teachers and teaching assistants posts to make ends meet
Real terms cuts to school funding since 2015 have led to a big reduction in the number of secondary teachers, teaching assistants and support staff in England, says research published today by the School Cuts alliance of education unions.
SEND crisis
Despite increases, SEND funding faces a £2bn annual shortfall. This means inadequate provision, children educated in inappropriate settings, and over 1,000 children not receiving any education at all.
Wales needs fair funding: you get out what you put in
Since devolution, education has been underfunded in Wales. The NEU is calling for urgent action.
Funding campaign
Our schools and colleges need more funding if we are to give our children the education they deserve.
Advice
Capital Funding
Investment in school building needs to be a priority for the 2020s
Blog
Mental Health funding
Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the NEU writes about the impact of school funding cuts on pupils with SEND and poor mental health.
The frightening impact of SEND cuts
Emily Jenkins looks at the crisis in funding and support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Press release
Prime Minister’s speech to Conservative Party Conference
Unreasonable and intensive workload, pay and lack of professional agency is driving teachers from the profession in ever increasing numbers. This must be addressed by the Government urgently.
NEU: Value Education, Value Educators campaign
The pandemic has proved just how valuable schools are to children, young people and society. It's time to Value Education, Value Educators.
Joint unions submission ahead of Comprehensive Spending Review
Education unions call for Prime Minister to ‘keep his promise’ on education in Comprehensive Spending Review.
Sutton Trust report on Childcare in Early Years
Providing good quality early education should be considered by Government and policymakers as vitally important and a funding priority, but for too long it has been starved.
School Funding Consultation
DfE consultation on school funding simply completes the redistribution of school funding from poorer areas to better-off areas.
Early Years Alliance on Underfunding of Sector
It is shameful that the Government continues to let down the Early Years sector. The Government’s current policies and lack of action are clearly a threat to the sector and the life chances of the children they educate.
IFS on Covid-related spending
This report from the IFS exposes another example of the gap between Government rhetoric about investing in education recovery and the reality.
EPI on Education Recovery
The EPI report highlights the scale of the disruption caused by the pandemic and the necessary funding needed to repair the damage.
Queen’s Speech
The Government must invest properly in education rather than attempt to cover up a general lack of new money.
Speech by Gavin Williamson to the Confederation of School Trusts
The fragmented academy system has serious structural problems and contradictions which are entirely the fault of this Government. What we need is greater coherence and investment in the democratic structures and support that bind schools to one another and to their communities.
EPI on Teacher Training and Development
The NEU agrees that a boost to the amount of high quality CPD teachers receive would be extremely welcome by the profession and a good step in improving retention.
Budget 2021
The Government has said schools are a “national priority”, yet this Budget has provided schools with no new resources to manage coronavirus.
Government’s education recovery package
The NEU and the Sutton Trust have recommended to Government that £750 million is needed as the first immediate boost to Pupil Premium. Instead, £302 million has been announced.
Keep early years safe and funded
The National Education Union and UNISON have highlighted a series of funding and safety issues ministers must address to ensure community safety around the care and education of young children.
Keir Starmer Speech
Keir Starmer is right to call out the Government on key worker pay. A pay freeze is no way to reward education staff for the immense contribution they have made to the country's response to the pandemic.
EPI report into school funding during COVID
The Government claims to want to build back better but that will not be possible if schools are bankrupted by coronavirus.
Joint unions express outrage at pay offer
Trade unions representing staff in English further education colleges have today (Thursday) slammed the decision by the Association of Colleges (AoC) to offer a 1% pay increase and demanded to know what additional Government funding had been spent on.
NFER on School Funding and Covid-19
The NFER report has confirmed what the education world already knew. Schools are struggling to cope with the extra costs of Covid-19.
Spending Review 2020
Pay freeze is a body blow to education workers
Public Sector Pay
The Government will argue this is about holding down public sector pay because private sector pay has gone down, but it makes no sense economically.
IPPR report on the future of education
The NEU supports the call that all children should have access to on-site mental health support, including on-site counsellors and interventions to support parental support programmes.
Skills and lifelong learning
Major reinvestment is needed to reverse the 50% cuts to adult learning and cuts to college funding, pay and learner entitlements.
IFS Annual Report on school funding
IFS reports largest cuts to England's schools funding in 40 years
Education Support Covid survey
Education Support survey on Covid pressures on schools
EPI Annual Report
If the Government is serious about ensuring all pupils receive access to a good quality, equitable education they must put their money where their mouth is and put measures in place to lift pupils out of the grip of poverty and disadvantage.
Maintained Nursery Schools
Extension of supplementary funding for Maintained Nursery Schools (MNS) through to summer 2021
EPI school funding analysis
This EPI report hows that the Government is increasing that gap, not closing it, through the way it is distributing its 2020 funding increase, with bigger increases going to those schools with fewer disadvantaged students.
Coronavirus: Extra £50 million for universities, colleges, and students
NEU Cymru welcomes the Education Minister’s commitment in providing much needed additional funding for universities, colleges and students in response to the economic impact of the coronavirus.
School Funding 2021
School funding announced for 2021 doesn't even reach 2010 levels.
School Funding
NEU welcomes Government announcement of additional school funding. But it is important to be clear that this funding does not even replace the budget cuts made since this Government.
Opportunity areas funding
This funding is crucial to help reverse the impact of the coronavirus on education in those areas.
Coronavirus: Maintained Nursery School Funding
Education experts call for Downing Street to prioritise Maintained Nursery School funding.
Public Accounts Committee report on UTCs
This report vindicates the NEU’s longstanding concerns about UTCs. Significant resources have been ploughed into the programme despite serious flaws in the model and its poor record.
Budget 2020
The Government knows that lack of funding is putting schools and colleges under great pressure. This budget does not support a long term plan for the millions of young people being educated within a chronically underfunded system.
EPI on school funding
Government needs to listen to the evidence. Our schools and colleges are simply not being given the funding they need to deliver the education every parent child and young person expects.”
Budget
The Government’s pledge last year to increase school funding fell short of the £12.6 billion we estimate is needed to replace the cuts made since 2015. Schools and colleges continue to fall into disrepair, and at the present rate it will take several decades to rebuild them all.
EPI on Technical Education
If Government is serious about the importance of technical education then it must learn from this challenging report.
Petition hand-in to defend maintained nursery schools
Ahead of the Budget, a coalition of organisations acting in defence of maintained nursery schools will be handing in a 25,000-signature petition to the Prime Minister at Downing street.
Behaviour Support
This announcement is silent about the pressures on disadvantaged schools, where more teachers are leaving. Heads and teachers are only too acutely aware of what they want to do more of in order to support students, but they can't because of funding and staffing cuts.
Further Education funding
The system is broken. Colleges are financially struggling, with staff numbers decimated. We need money for staff: parity with schools would require a £7000 pay catch-up for FE college teachers.
Sixth form college strike rally
London march and rally marking fifth day of strike action in over 30 sixth form colleges.
Sixth form college strike rally
London march and rally marking fifth day of strike action in over 30 sixth form colleges
Pay survey results 2020
Teacher pay survey shows that 63% of teachers have considered leaving the profession due to pay concerns.
Unions criticise government’s pay proposals
Four education unions are warning that government pay proposals would short-change most classroom teachers and all senior leaders.
NEU Cymru welcomes extra funding for FE
National Education Union Cymru welcomes the£23m extra money for Further Education (FE) in Wales.
Striking tomorrow in sixth form colleges
34 sixth form colleges will be taking strike action on Wednesday 12 February in response to the impact of funding cuts in their sector.
Government Announcement on Funding
The Government’s rhetoric is excellent, it is a pity the reality for the vast majority of schools does not match it.
NFER on Teacher Autonomy
Teachers and school leaders need to have the ability to judge what is best for the children and young people they teach.
Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) findings
The NEU supports the conclusion of the authors of this volume that “expanding the number of grammar schools is unlikely to increase levels of educational or social mobility in this country”.
EPI on CAMHS
The EPI report makes for alarming reading and chimes with the concerns raised by our members.
NEU comments on the Queen’s Speech
The Queen’s Speech failed to address the challenges facing education.
Further education bodies call for Budget investment
In a joint letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, ten bodies representing further education staff, students and providers have called for extra funding to ensure a “stable and well-resourced further education sector” which can meet different needs and ambitions.
General Election Result
The NEU reacts to the result of the 2019 General Election.
Vote today
Today we have an historic opportunity to shape the future for all our young people.
Chronic lack of investment in school buildings
New analysis by the National Education Union shows that the inadequacy of the Government schools building programme.
Super Saturdays – Week 5
With education now ranking as the third biggest electoral issue among parents, our fifth and final weekend of General Election events will take place in the North East, Cumbria and Yorkshire.
Do the party pledges cut It?
The School Cuts website has been updated to reflect what the manifestos mean for every school in England.
Labour Investment for Education
The plan outlined by Labour will address the years of underfunding and allow schools to heal and to plan improvements, increasing SEND support, supporting teachers and other staff, capping class sizes and improving our school buildings.
Super Saturdays – Week 4
Our latest wave of weekend events visits the north west, south west and west midlands to raise awareness about education during this General Election.
NEU parents poll
New parent poll shows education rising to third biggest issue in General Election.
Super Saturdays – Week 3
Our third week of Super Saturdays, raising awareness of school cuts and other education issues, will visit the midlands and south-east regions of the UK.
Labour Party Manifesto
The NEU asked each party to value education and make pledges on funding and the Labour party has met our tests. Labour’s manifesto demonstrates an understanding that schools alone cannot counter the drastic and long-lasting impacts of poverty and class inequality in wider society.
School Cuts welcomes Labour funding
A coalition of education unions has today welcomed Labour’s manifesto commitment to reverse all cuts to school budgets and to make a once-in-a-generation investment in education.
Green Party Manifesto
The Green Party’s pledge to end centrally-imposed testing and Ofsted inspections is a welcome recognition of the pressures high-stakes accountability places on schools, narrowing the curriculum and driving teachers out of the profession.
Super Saturdays – Week 2
The NEU’s Super Saturdays are an opportunity for parents, teachers, school staff and all who are interested or concerned about education, to come together find out more about the challenges facing schools and colleges.
Class sizes
NEU class size analysis shows a rise in 474 England constituencies since 2010
General Election - more than brexit
This election has to be about more than Brexit. The future of schools and education is at stake on 12 December.
Super Saturdays
During the General Election the National Education Union will be holding a series of Super Saturday events explaining the facts about education funding.
Constituency school funding
Underfunding of schools in England, listed by constituency.
Early Years Funding
We are pleased the Government has bowed to pressure from parents and educators by extending funding for maintained nursery schools for a further two terms.
Value Education, Vote Education
There is a huge choice for education at this election. When casting their vote, we will ensure that parents, teachers, school leaders and the general public are in full possession of the facts, not the spin.
Sixth form colleges strike and rally
NEU members working in Sixth Form Colleges will be taking strike action on Thursday 17 October to defend their pay, working conditions and employment.
False funding claims
Government’s false claims in Queen’s Speech.
School Cuts updated funding figures
More than 16,500 schools losing out under new cash allocations for April 2020.
Initial analysis of school cash allocations shows a strong link with deprivation
Following the release of the national funding formulae allocations for 2020/21, we are taking a close look at what this means for schools.
School Funding Allocations
The Government continues to try to pull the wool over the public’s eyes about the reality of school funding. They have to triple count monies to get to their claim that there is £14bn more in schools.
Unexplained Pupil Exits
Sixty-nine thousand unexplained pupil exits from schools is a shocking figure and one which the Government needs to address.
Children’s University
What schools need most is to be adequately funded. Challenging schools to do more with even less resource is not the answer.
Gavin Williamson speech
Gavin Williamson must get the Treasury to find the money to save the maintained nursery sector. Even after the announcement of an additional £400m in April 2020, they still have £1.1bn less in real terms than in 2010.
School Funding: 4 in 5 schools worse off under Government spending plans, finds new analysis
New figures, released today by the School Cuts coalition, reveal that four in five of England’s schools will be worse off next year than they were in 2015.
Sutton Trust on Private Tuition
The NEU response to the findings in the Sutton Trust's poll on the prevalence of private tuition.
Children’s Commissioner report into children and young people’s educational attainment
Schools and local authorities have been struggling to plug the gaps in SEND education left by years of cuts and underfunding, but without significant investment many children are unable to access the support they need.
IFS on education spending in England
This IFS report confirms our belief that the additional money announced in the Spending Round is insufficient. They point out that even after the Spending Round, schools still have to cope with an unprecedented 13-year long funding squeeze.
Nursery School Closures
Unless Government changes course, all local authority Maintained Nursery Schools (MNS) in England will lose on average 30% of their budget by September 2020.
SEND Review
Every school wants to provide the strategies and support which work for each individual SEND pupil, but the real-terms funding crisis has had a devastating impact. We don’t need another review to tell us that children with SEND need quicker assessments.
Spending Review
Today's funding announcement in the Chancellor's Spending Review is not sufficient to reverse all the cuts to date.
16-19 Funding
Funding announcement for further education and sixth form colleges is nowhere near to closing the £1.1bn gap.
It's a start but it's not enough
The Prime Minster's announcement is a victory for the SchoolCuts campaign. It’s a start but it's not enough.
NEU response to leaked education plans
Leaked Department for Education document shows Government's education policy plans.
New Education Secretary
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union has commented on the appointment of Gavin Williamson as the new Education Secretary.
Boris Johnson’s education pledge
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union comments on the incoming Prime Minister’s statements that education and school funding is at the top of his domestic agenda.
New Prime Minister
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union has commented on Boris Johnson becoming the new Prime Minister.
Education Select Committee Report on School and College Funding
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union comments on the Education Committee’s report calling for a ten-year plan for school and college funding.
Coalition unveils long-term funding plan to reverse education cuts
A coalition fighting for improved funding for education today sets out a long-term plan to reverse the cuts which have caused so much damage to schools and colleges. It shows that a total of £12.6bn extra would be needed by 2022/23.
Grove Academy action
Staff take 2 more days of action to protect the most vulnerable students in North Yorkshire and form the “Working together walk”
Together for Education Rally - Jeremy Corbyn and Mayor of London now confirmed
This coming Saturday, parents, MPs, councillors and trade unionists meet in London for the Together for Education rally.
SEND National Crisis
The National Education Union is supporting today’s (Thursday) SEND National Crisis campaign day by joining its call on Government to provide more money for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). More than 25 events are happening nationwide.
Sixth form and college funding
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union has commented on 16-19 Education Funding: Trends and Implications, a report published today by the Education Policy Institute (EPI).
Over 1,000 councillors urge Government to increase school funding
A letter from the National Education Union (NEU) urging Education Secretary Damian Hinds to end the school funding crisis has been signed by 1,115 local councillors.(1)
School Funding: new analysis shows £5.4bn cut from school budgets in England since 2015
The School Cuts coalition analysis* of the latest Government school funding figures shows a shortfall in funding of £5.4 billion over the past three years with 91% of schools in England affected.
Spring Statement
Commenting on the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Spring Statement, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
School Cuts Coalition: Chancellor’s spring statement must address school funding crisis
The Chancellor’s Spring Statement today (Wednesday) must address the “national emergency” faced by our schools and colleges due to a lack of funding.
490 MPs contacted by NEU members ahead of Westminster Hall debate on school funding
MPs in England have been contacted by teachers, headteachers and support staff of the National Education Union and School Cuts Coalition supporters asking them to attend today’s Westminster Hall debate on school funding.
Education unions call for an immediate 5% pay rise for teachers
Education unions - the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), the National Education Union (NEU), UCAC, and Voice – are calling for an immediate, fully funded, 5% pay rise for all teachers.
Enough is enough! March for Education
Trade unions, campaigners, councillors, parents and school students to march for education on Tuesday 20 November 2018.
NEU reaction to Budget Autumn 2017
With no significant new money for education, the budget shows that the government has chosen to ignore the anger of parents and clear evidence of the damage caused by funding cuts.
Liberal Democrat Party Conference emergency motion on education
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union comments on the emergency education motion passed at today’s Liberal Democrat Party conference.
School Cuts website shows 88% of schools still facing cuts
Following the announcement on school funding by Justine Greening last week, the picture remains bleak.
Sutton Trust on Closing the Attainment Gap
Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union comments on the Sutton Trust report Closing Gaps Early, published today.
NEU comment on the DfE's School Resource Management Strategy
Commenting on the Department for Education’s School Resource Management Strategy, released today, Nansi Ellis, Assistant General Secretary of the National Education Union, said
NEU calls for a significant increase in teacher pay
The National Education Union is calling for a significant pay increase for teachers to help address the growing crisis in teacher recruitment and retention, pay teachers fairly and help deliver the best possible education for pupils.
NEU comment on Damian Hinds’ speech at the 2018 Conservative Party Conference
Commenting on the Education Secretary’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
NEU comment on Theresa May’s Speech
Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, has commented on the Prime Minister’s speech at Conservative Party Conference.
Union leaders join forces for pre-budget video
Headteachers and teachers across England are being encouraged to write to their MPs over the school funding crisis in the run-up to the Budget on 29 October.
NEU comment on the Budget Speech
Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, has commented on the Chancellor’s Budget Speech, delivered today in the Commons.
Three education unions to simultaneously consult members after Budget fails to address funding crisis
Following the Government’s failure to address the school and college funding crisis in last week’s Budget, three education unions are taking the unprecedented step of simultaneously consulting with their respective members on what steps to take next.
NEU survey: Teachers witnessing distressing new levels of child poverty this winter in schools
A National Education Union snapshot poll of 1,026 teachers* in England paints a harrowing picture of the increase in poverty seen in our schools and the daily impact it is having on children and young people.
School Holiday Poverty
Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, has commented on the Government’s school holiday programme for disadvantaged children.
Broken promises from Government on school funding
New analysis by the National Education Union of the Schools Block funding allocations show the Government has not even matched their previous woefully inadequate promises on school funding. The Government has delayed and delayed the publication of these figures. The reason now is clear.
School Cuts Coalition Stands By Figures Challenged by Deputy Chair of Conservative Party
James Cleverly, the Deputy Chair of the Conservative Party, has complained to the UK Statistics Authority about the figures on the School Cuts website. We stand by those figures.
Consultation of Members on School Funding
82,487 teachers taking part in the National Education Union’s consultation of members have given a ringing endorsement of the School Cuts campaign.
NEU unveils billboards with questions for the Education Secretary during Conservative Party Conference
The NEU unveils three billboards during the Conservative party conference in Birmingham asking Damian Hinds three questions around funding for schools.
Comment on IFS report on School Funding
Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) shows an 8% decline in funding for England’s schools since 2010, and 5% for Wales in the same period - Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union comments.
Nick Gibb on School Funding
Nick Gibb’s written statement to Parliament ignores the fact that recent reports show education funding is in crisis - Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union comments.
NEU comment on school funding for 2019-20
Nick Gibb’s statement on school revenue funding for 2019-2020 will do nothing to alleviate the enormous pressure on school budgets, Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union says.
NEU comment on academy trusts in deficit
Academy sector and schools as a whole are feeling the effects of an unsustainable funding model, NEU says.
Article
Joint union letter to Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer
We've written to Theresa May and Philip Hammond to warn of the impact of the Government’s recent pay settlement
Policy
Education funding
Unless education is properly funded, children in every area will suffer.