Teacher pay rise: Staff cuts warning from Calderdale campaign group over four per cent teacher pay rise

Calderdale Against School Cuts (CASC) says a survey of local schools indicates the resulting squeeze on budgets from the settlement may result in some lay-offs unless the Government steps in with some extra cash.

Sue McMahon, spokesperson for the group, said: “Schools will have to find funds from their existing budgets to give teachers the four per cent pay award announced, as the Government has not provided the funds to cover it in full.”

Ms McMahon said the Government has told schools they can find the money through “improved productivity and smarter spending”.

She said: “But after over 14 years of austerity, school budgets are already cut to the bone!

“The tsunami of cuts to local services has left schools having to do more with less, replacing services that they once relied on to support children and young people but without the extra funding.”

She said CASC’s findings from a survey of Calderdale primary schools revealed 54 per cent planned to make teachers redundant, 86 per cent thought they would not replace staff who leave, and 67 per cent planned to make support staff redundant.

The CASC survey also indicated 96 per cent were concerned about balancing the school budget.

“By not fully funding a pay award, we will see Calderdale schools having to implement further cuts to school budgets over and above those they already faced,” said Ms McMahon.

The Government announced the pay increase yesterday after accepting recommendations from pay review bodies.