01 Jun Harlow councillor voices concerns about planned cuts to schools
by Tasha Turner
Harlow Labour councillor, Mark Ingall today spoke of his extreme concerns about planned cuts to Harlow schools and his exasperation at the failure of Harlow’s Conservative MP to respond to these concerns.
Councillor Ingall expressed particular concern about cuts to Passmores Academy which is attended by hundreds of children from his ward, Bush Fair.
Councillor Ingall said: “I have messaged Robert Halfon ten times about the planned cuts to the budgets of Harlow schools and not once have I received a reply.
“I learned about the planned cuts from the website www.schoolcuts.org.uk which has been created using data from the Department of Education and on the basis that the National Funding Formula proposed by the Secretary of State in December last year is implemented as planned in April next year.
“According to the website, Harlow schools are set to have their budgets cut by £5.5 million by 2019. Passmores will be particularly badly hit with an estimated cut of £1.3m. This will be devastating to our schools, teachers and most importantly, children.
He added “Conservative Councillor Michael Hardware disputes these figures and says that the cut to Passmores will be around £800,000, a figure he attributes to the head teacher, Vic Goddard. What are we supposed to do on hearing that news? Be grateful?!
“Even if it is this lesser figure, it will still mean cuts to teaching numbers, larger classes and less support for children with additional needs. This will be a devastating blow to this highly regarded school. And as for Robert Halfon? Like his leader, Theresa May, he simply avoids the hard questions.”
