It means that funding per pupil in Solihull will be cut by £199 in 2024/25 compared with 2023/24.
There are 74 schools in Solihull. 72 of which will have less spending power in 2024/25 as a result of these funding cuts.
For Primary schools in Solihull, there will be a £178 reduction in spending power per pupil over the next financial year, and in Secondary schools there will be a £224 fall in spending power per pupil.
Solihull’s Liberal Democrats have warned that the fall in spending power will push already stretched school budgets to the brink, with a worse educational experience for pupils and worse outcomes.
It comes as new data released today shows that this Conservative Government has cut the annual growth in funding in cash terms from 8% in 2023/4 to 3.1% in 2024/5.
The Lib Dems are calling for the Government to review school funding after the IFS has concluded that the purchasing power of school budgets in 2024 will still be about 4% lower than in 2010.
Ade Adeyemo, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Solihull West and Shirley, said:
“This Conservative government has failed Solihull’s children. Parents in our community should not have to send their children to schools which have had their funding decimated by a Conservative government that has lost interest in providing high-quality education.
“Schools in Solihull are already amongst the lowest-funded in England. These cuts to school funding will come as a double whammy to Solihull Council, which is currently struggling under the strain of real terms Conservative government cuts to its funding.
“For several years, I and my Lib Dem colleagues have campaigned for fairer funding for Solihull’s schools – an issue that the Conservative MP for Solihull described as ‘Tosh’ in 2019.
“Investing in education is investing in our future but this Conservative government has let school buildings crumble and overseen a severe shortage of teachers. Far from preparing the next generation for the future, Ministers have totally abandoned them.
“The Liberal Democrats know that investment in education boosts our children’s futures. The Treasury needs to urgently look at increasing school funding, especially for Solihull Council, which receives less funding per pupil compared to its neighbours.
“Liberal Democrats believe that our children’s education is paramount. That is why we will continue to campaign for better funding for all of our local schools”.
The Solihull and Meriden Liberal Democrats represent Liberal Democrat Members, Volunteers, Campaigners, Councillors and Candidates within the Local Authority area of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, and the two Parliamentary Constituencies of Solihull and Meriden.
Liberal Democrats in Solihull and Meriden have a long record of action for the community, fighting hard for local residents on issues that are important to them.
