Senior councillors approve controversial cuts to Wrexham’s education budget

Senior councillors have backed controversial cuts to Wrexham’s education budget.

It comes as the local authority faces a potential financial deficit of £22.6m next year and £29m over the following two years.

In a bid to tackle the funding gap from April this year a range of cuts – or ‘efficiencies’ – are being introduced.

On Tuesday (23 January) executive board members gave the green light to a further £10.5m of savings, including a £5.3m ‘cash flat’ position for schools. ‌

Education in Wrexham is bearing the brunt of the cuts, with a five per cent saving being applied to school budgets, after inflation.

However the proposed cuts have led to fears about the impact a potential reduction in school staff could have on the support and provision that schools are able to provide.

Speaking on Tuesday’s meeting Leader of Wrexham Council Cllr Mark Pritchard​ ‌said the local authority would be making “urgent representations” to Welsh ministers ‌following concerns raised by the School Budget Forum.

Cllr Pritchard said: “I sit here this morning with a heavy heart – as I’m sure every elected member in this room and every elected member across Wrexham will – none of us want to be cutting services, making redundancies, job losses and in some areas stopping services.

“This is the first of many reports which will come through this process. During in the next month or so the decisions made at this executive board and which will go to full council to be supported, will be devastating for this council.

“It’s the same across the 22 authorities across Wales. I’ve spoken to leaders within North Wales, I’ve spoken to leaders across Wales.

“We’ve made representation to the WLGA, we’ve made representation to the Welsh Government.

“But the frankness of it is, the settlement is what it is, we can’t change it. The Welsh Government decided to spend the money and not give us an increase.”

A reluctant Cllr Phil Wynn, lead member for education, said he can’t see where the council “can find additional monies in time to soften the impact of the five per cent savings” being proposed for schools.

He added that local headteachers had warned of “unforeseen consequences of the cuts that will have to meet as and when they occur.”

Earlier this week Cllr Wynn met with the School Budget Forum – consisting of headteachers, teaching staff, Governors and union representatives – in what was described as a “full and frank discussion”.

Executive board members were later given a summary of the meeting, with concerns raised over increased incidences of primary school aged pupils attacking staff, the impact of job losses and the staff sickness insurance policy.

Cllr Wynn said: “We’ve also acknowledged that school transport costs are significantly higher than the cash limited budget that we have in the cash box.

“I did attend a School Budget Forum yesterday afternoon. I hope I gave an honest and frank interpretation of the challenges that we as an authority and the executive board are facing at this moment in time,

“As lead member for education I cannot see where we can find additional monies at this moment in time to soften the impact of the five per cent savings proposal that we’re asking schools to deliver.

“It was a full and frank discussion and I understand that school heads believe that there will be unforeseen consequences of the cuts.

“I have relayed those consequences that were raised at the forum with fellow Executive Board members by email after the meeting.

“That said, the challenge is severe and I’ve got no option other than to support the proposal within this report, which includes the proposed saving that schools will be expected to deliver next year.”

Later we asked the Lead Member for a copy of the update he had shared with colleagues, and he made the below available for publication:

“At the Forum meeting this afternoon, all representatives have asked the Executive Board members to give consideration to the proposed 5% cut to school budgets for the forthcoming financial year and to bear in mind the unforeseen consequences for the Authority eg a significant reduction in TAs will run the risk that pupils with significant ALN may have to be educated out of County rather than at St Christopher’s Special school.

The staff Sickness Insurance policy is projected to be over-spent in 2023/24, as such the fear is with reduced school staffing numbers staff sickness leave will inevitably deteriorate during 2024/25.

Head teachers are reporting increased incidences of primary school aged pupils attacking staff, with a fear that this situation will further deteriorate.

The Forum were made aware that we are facing a significant cost pressure, which is driven by inflation and increased service demands, with only a £12m/£16m increase in cash revenue(RSG 3.2% uplift/6% plus Council Tax uplift )to plug the hole, the variable being driven by the level we set the Council Tax increase at.”