HEADTEACHERS from Alton have marched on Downing Street in a protest over funding.

Marching in London under the campaign umbrella of ‘Worth Less?’ and chanting a rallying cry of “relentlessly reasonable”, a strong contingent from Alton joined many hundreds of colleagues from across England.

The headteachers took part in the protest on September 28 to challenge what they believe to be an unsustainable and “short sighted” Government funding strategy which, they claim, is crippling schools and damaging the education system.

Among those protesting were Alton senior school headteachers Patrick Sullivan (Eggars), Stephen Mann (Amery Hill), primary school heads Sharron Morton (Binsted), Maria Lloyd (Andrews Endowed, Holybourne), Katy Pinchess (Bentley), Dawn Casson (St Lawrence), Jenny Jones (Anstey Junior), Jo Ayres (Bentworth), and Ella Palmer (Wootey Infant).

In a letter to parents explaining why they felt compelled to take part in this mass action, the headteachers had stressed they had the full support of their governing bodies and trustees and they would remain “steadfastly determined, relentlessly reasonable, and act without any political or union bias”.

But, while understanding that in this challenging period of austerity the Government does not have a bottomless pit of money, the situation had become unsustainable.

The letter read: “A mixture of rising costs and stresses on other support services has meant that for many years we have been asked ‘to do more with less’. It is clear to all headteachers, however, that matters are unsustainable.

“Frequently, we do not have enough money to meet the demands placed on our schools.”

While Education Secretary, and East Hampshire MP, Damian Hinds has flagged up funding as one of his biggest concerns, the organisers of the protest highlighted a claim by the Institute of Fiscal Studies that per-pupil funding has fallen eight per cent in real terms since 2010.

Eggar’s headteacher Mr Sullivan told the Herald that while his own school is managing to stay “financially very efficient”, the government’s funding of state schools is leading to critical financial pressures – a situation that he believes “must be rectified before it’s too late”.

He explained: “Funding has not kept pace with inflation for the last seven years despite increases in salaries, National Insurance and pension contributions, energy bills and the imminent apprenticeship levy.

“All of these increases have been met by individual schools which receive flat cash, which is effectively no further funding.  

“Hampshire has been one of lowest-funded counties in England. A pupil attending a Hampshire school is currently funded around £5,000 a year, whereas a pupil attending a school in inner London is funded around £9,000.

“We were promised, and very much hoped, we would gain from the new national funding formula. However, first indications suggest we will lose out and receive even less funding in the future. The consultation document forecasts an illustrated reduction in expected income of £14,000 – based on this year’s data.”

A Department for Education spokesman said: “There is more money going into schools than ever before, rising to a record £43.5bn by 2020 – 50 per cent more in real terms per pupil than in 2000.

“Every school attracts more funding per pupil through the national funding formula, high needs funding has risen to more than £6bn this year, and the three-and-a-half per cent pay rise we announced for classroom teachers on the main pay range is backed by £508m government funding.”