Commenting as the Senedd agree the Welsh Government budget, Laura Doel, national secretary of NAHT Cymru, said:

“Schools in Wales are facing a desperate funding crisis, and we fear this Budget does not come close to acknowledging and addressing this. For many schools even substantial cuts to staffing or resources will not be enough to prevent them racking up deficits, and ultimately, despite their best efforts, pupils’ learning will be impacted.

“The additional £113m agreed for councils following our extensive lobbying of Senedd members and the agreement between Labour and Plaid offers a glimmer of hope. But even if this was all given to schools, it would still not plug the £137m shortfall in school budgets predicted by the Welsh Local Government Association for the next financial year.

“It is now vital that local authorities listen to school leaders and ensure that this extra money is allocated to schools. This would not completely ease the pressures of schools – we are now in the realms of damage control – but it would at least minimise the impact.

“More broadly, we urge all political parties to listen ahead of the Senedd election, wake up to the severe threat under-funding poses to our schools and children’s education, and demonstrate the ambition to address this in their manifestos.”