PARENTS whose children attend grammar schools may soon be asked for more financial contributions, as heads look to alleviate cuts to funding.
Most of Kent’s grammar schools already only receive £4,300 per pupil – £500 less than the standard sum needed to fund a year’s secondary education.
And it just more than half of the £8,000 per secondary school pupil in London.
Due to the new funding arrangements, the National Union of Teachers calculate that by 2019, Tonbridge Grammar will lose over £500,000 a year, equivalent to a further £641 per pupil.
Weald of Kent Grammar School will see their budget cut by £384,185 or £433 per pupil.
The Judd School are set to lose £255,543 from the yearly funding by 2019, which is £353 per pupil.
Non-grammars, Hillview School for Girls (£217,429) and The Hayesbrook School (£179,527) are also set to lose out. Although Hugh Christie are not expected to.
The head of Tonbridge Grammar School, Mrs Rosemary Joyce has confirmed that parents will be asked to contribute money to allow them to carry on providing the same level of education, due to new changes to government funding.
She said: “Tonbridge Grammar School has experienced an annual reduction in our per pupil grant income for a number of years at a time when salary, pension and national insurance costs have increased. It is disappointing that the School will see further cuts to our grant income as a results of the National Funding Formula proposals currently out for consultation.”
She confirmed that the school already look for additional sources of income to supplement their annual per pupil grant income. Tactics include ‘applications to grants and trusts, approaches to business for sponsorship and asking parents who are able to offer financial support to enrich student learning’.
“Given the current indications of further cuts to our grant income and costs increases this strategy looks likely to continue,” she stated.
