The campaign comes as figures show that £329m has been allocated to Wales by the UK government in so-called education consequentials, but only £39m of it has been allocated in core funding for schools in the Budget proposals.

NAHT Cymru is calling for all Senedd members to do the right thing and support its calls for the government to rethink the education allocation.

Although local authorities also have the power to increase schools funding, councils have only been allocated only a 2.2% ‘inflationary’ uplift at a time when CPI inflation is currently 3.6%. With the Welsh Local Government Association already reporting a predicted deficit of £137m to school budgets, councils don’t have the capital to bail schools out and they also question why they should be expected to, when government funds are available.

School leaders are desperately trying to make budgets add up and are weighing up whether to cut staffing or resources – they are incensed to learn there is money available which was earmarked for education but which has not been allocated, and  they have every right to ask what has happened to it.

There is a total of £380m unallocated in the Welsh Government’s draft Budget and it appears this is being used as a bargaining chip to help ensure it gets its proposals through.

This money would cover the shortfall in education spending with change to spare, but instead schools are being expected to just get on with an impossible task with no thought to what that looks like for them.

Ultimately, it is children who are being short-changed.

NAHT is urging the Welsh Government to provide answers about this missing funding and for all parties in the Senedd, to ensure our children’s learning is not sacrificed as a result of political horse trading. Join our fight for #FairFundingNow.

JOIN OUR ONLINE LOBBY: email your Senedd member today.