Funding shortfalls and falling school rolls are putting teachers and leaders’ jobs at risk and threatening children’s education, a leading union is warning ahead of the Budget.

More than one in three leaders (35%) say either redundancies, a restructure, or both, have been consulted upon or discussed, a survey of more than 5,000 members by school leaders’ union NAHT, found.

When asked to identify the reasons, more than three quarters (78%) cited insufficient funding, while 56% said falling rolls were playing a part – with funding heavily linked to pupil numbers.

An overwhelming majority (92%) of all survey respondents said that school funding had worsened or greatly worsened in the last 12 months, up from 66% when NAHT asked the same question last year.

Ahead of the Budget, NAHT is urging the Chancellor to provide immediate additional investment in schools, and ensure the commitments in the Schools White Paper, including SEND reform, are fully funded - with increased ‘high needs’ funding for pupils with the most complex needs.

The union wants the government to commit to a real-terms increase in overall core school funding over this parliament, ensuring it is not cut despite falling rolls in some areas.

And it wants to see a more ambitious plan for repairs and rebuilding to ensure that the whole school estate is safe, accessible, sustainable, and fit for purpose.

Of the 35% of its members fearing redundancies or restructures, 14% said there was already formal consultation about redundancies and/or a restructure at their school or multi-academy trust, 7% cited informal consultations, and 15% said there had been discussions about the possibility. (1)

Of those leaders aware of consultations or discussions about redundancies or restructures, more than half (57%) indicated it was likely this would lead to increased responsibilities and therefore workload. Half (50%) reported possible cuts to leadership positions at their school, while six in ten (60)% said a recruitment freeze had been mooted.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Schools are nothing without their dedicated workforce, but funding shortfalls are forcing many leaders to lose valued colleagues.

“While there have been welcome funding uplifts since the last general election, much of this has been swallowed up by increasing costs and demands.

“Schools will also need significantly more resources to effectively implement much-needed reforms to the SEND system and curriculum and assessment.”

Mr Whiteman said forced cuts to leadership teams, teachers and support staff pile more workload onto the remaining workforce at a time when too many are already quitting as the increasing demands of the job harm their wellbeing.

“When people do leave, budgetary pressures mean leaders increasingly cannot afford to replace them and have to leave posts vacant,” he added. “It’s a vicious cycle.

“With the best will in the world, it is children’s education which ultimately suffers if schools do not have the dedicated teachers and leaders they need.

“That’s why we need to see a sustained commitment from this new government in ensuring schools have the funding they require – starting with the forthcoming Budget.”

NAHT says funding levels are still only broadly in line with 2010/11 levels in real terms and there is no plan to reverse a decade and a half of flat investment in the nation’s schools.

As part of its We Demand Better campaign the union is urging ministers to start to the put that right.

Ed Powe, head teacher at Staverton CE VC Primary School in Wiltshire, said: “As a headteacher, the last thing you ever want to do is make members of your school community redundant. These are dedicated, experienced people who give so much to the children and families they serve. Yet I'm currently having to lead my school through exactly that process.

“We're doing everything we can to protect the quality of education, but the financial reality facing schools means we're being forced to make decisions that no school leader wants to make. Falling pupil numbers, rising costs and insufficient funding have left us with very few options.

“What's particularly frustrating is that we're not talking about cutting luxuries or unnecessary spending. We're talking about the people who support children in classrooms, help those with additional needs and make our schools the caring, inclusive places we want them to be.

"School leaders should be spending their time improving education, supporting staff and helping children thrive. Instead, we're spending an extraordinary amount of time trying to work out how to do more with less, while having some of the most difficult conversations of our careers. Something has to change."

Rachel Targett-Adams, head teacher at Redbridge Primary School in Ilford, said: “I am proud of the education and opportunities we provide for our children, and of the commitment of our staff. But maintaining that provision is becoming increasingly difficult as resources and staffing capacity come under pressure.

“We have a falling pupil roll alongside increasing numbers of children with SEND. We are managing staffing reductions through natural turnover wherever possible, but we cannot always afford to replace colleagues who leave. The work still needs to be done, and staff are telling me that their workloads are becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

“Leadership restructuring is under discussion, although no formal process has begun. These are difficult decisions because I know that reducing capacity risks affecting the support and opportunities we can offer children.

“Honestly, I feel deeply saddened by this. I know what our children need to thrive, but I do not feel we have the resources to meet those needs in the way we want to.”

Christopher Tribble, head teacher at Honiton Primary School in Devon, said: “School leaders are being forced to make impossible decisions because funding is uncertain and insufficient. Children are the ones who ultimately pay the price.

“The government's changes to PE and sport funding (2) have forced me to reduce our PE coach's hours by 60%, while a lack of SEND funding is also harming our budgets and our outcomes. We are a mainstream primary school of just over 400 pupils, yet we are approaching 30 Education Health and Care Plans. Schools are increasingly being asked to meet complex needs without the funding to do so.”

David Huntingford, head teacher at William Ford CE Junior School in Dagenham, said: “As the head of a school in financial deficit, money is the issue that keeps me awake at night. In the six years I've been in post I've led four restructures, every one of them because the money simply isn't there.

“Our building needs repairs that we can't afford to make. With the level of special educational needs we have, there are times the school feels understaffed, yet we can't afford to do anything about it. If anything, we're being encouraged to cut staff further just to reach a balanced budget.”

Notes to editor

• The survey was completed by 5,307 members in England from June 2-16.
• (1) The unrounded figures are 13.92%, 6.54% and 14.52%, giving a total of 34.98%
• (2) While the current PE and sport premium provides £320m per year direct to primary schools, from spring term next year both primaries and secondaries will have to access funding worth £580m over seven terms from a new national partnerships network. See https://www.gov.uk/government/news/1bn-boost-to-pe-and-school-sport-to-end-fitness-postcode-lottery