Cost of living crisis: 'Come and listen to our teachers' plea from Halifax MP to Government over funding catastrophe

Holly Lynch has written to Minister of State for Schools Nick Gibb raising teachers’ concerns about escalating financial pressures.

As reported by the Courier, Calderdale Governors Association has already written to the Department for Education warning that schools across the borough were facing “catastrophic” rises.

And Halifax heads have said schools may have to axe staff if nothing is done to help them through the cost of living crisis.

Ms Lynch’s letter calls on Mr Gibb to meet with Calderdale school leaders – either here or in Westminster – to hear their concerns for himself.

"Despite the six month price cap announced by the Government, energy costs have still soared to unprecedented levels, with one local secondary academy having seen those costs rise by 300 per cent in the last few weeks.

"Pay rises for teaching staff, whilst welcome and deserved, have not been funded by central Government.

"School leaders are already having to consider how savings can be made so that they will not be in deficit at the end of the academic year and given that the majority of a school’s budget is spent on staffing, it is likely that many schools are going to have to make staffing cuts, having a detrimental impact on educational provision, the welfare of our children, jobs and communities.

"As yet there have been no increases in school funding to help schools manager the unprecedented inflationary costs we have seen in recent months.”