Andrew Reid, Suffolk County Council lead for education and SEND services, says county is facing ‘fundamental inequalities’ in funding

Suffolk is facing ‘fundamental inequalities’ in education funding, a leader has said.

During the full county council meeting earlier this month, Cllr Andrew Reid, the lead for education and SEND services, committed to writing a formal letter to the new education minister, Bridget Philipson, about the current state of education funding in Suffolk.

In the letter, sent on Monday, July 22, Cllr Reid called on the Government to address funding disparities between counties to ‘ensure our children and young people receive the very best start in life’.

He said: “Whilst funding is not the only factor which impacts upon outcomes for children, I believe there are fundamental inequalities in the way schools and the council have their respective funding for education allocated.

“The stark reality in Suffolk is that the inequalities in funding appear to be growing.”

As it stands, each Suffolk pupil receives £123 less than those studying in neighbouring Norfolk — that’s a £11.55 million gap in children’s education in Suffolk.

The county has also seen a slimmer increase in funding over the last three years when compared with its statistical neighbours which, Cllr Reid said, would add £1.6 million to schools budgets, leaving the council as the 114th lowest funded authority in the country out of 151.

He added: “At the current pace of change it will take 15-20 years for the funding gap in Suffolk to close.

“I accept that the financial pressure on the UK economy remains incredibly challenging and, in this context, investing in public services is difficult.

“However, can we afford not to invest if we want to provide young people with the best life chances and ensure future economic growth?”

In 2017, when the National Funding Formula (NFF) for schools and high needs came into effect, the council had kept its spending close to its allocated budget, making the value it operated the funding baseline for the years that followed.

This means low levels of education funding affect all types of education settings, including children and young people with special needs.

Cllr Reid’s letter was sent just days before a further £9.1 million of the council’s reserves was earmarked for SEND delivery, at a time when the county’s saved-up money is depleting.

He added: “This compromises the education of more than a whole generation of children. We cannot afford to wait that long.”