Heads want guarantees on cash

Schools have been angered by the distribution of funding

Schools must be given firm guarantees of increased funding next year, say head teachers, still angry at their budget shortages from this year.

The Education Secretary Charles Clarke has warned that there will be no extra money for schools this year - but he has promised to make a further announcement on school funding later this week.

And head teachers' leader, John Dunford, says that Mr Clarke must use this opportunity to announce a funding system which will make certain that schools will receive increases in the money they receive for each pupil.

Mr Dunford, general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, says that the cash crisis has already cost the government the trust of teachers - and its next step on funding will be a "defining moment".

Disillusioned

The education secretary has ruled out direct funding of schools from central government, but head teachers are demanding an unambiguous funding system which will ensure that budget increases at national level are passed on to all schools.

John Dunford says the government must make guarantees on school funding

Last year, head teachers were welcoming promises of record levels of investment in education - and Mr Dunford says they have been deeply disillusioned to discover that the increases failed to reach a significant number of schools.

"Head teachers were disappointed to hear that there was no additional money to solve this year's funding crisis. But we're hoping that proposals for next year will include mechanisms for ensuring that increases in government funding are reflected in individual school budgets," says Mr Dunford.

"We're looking for a funding system that not only guarantees the per pupil increase that's promised, but which also begins to repair the damage done to many schools' budgets.

"We also need to be assured that additional funds are going to be allocated. Many schools this year have used their reserves to bolster their budget - but reserves can only be used once, and that's one of the main concerns for next year," he said.

This raises the stakes for the education secretary, who will be expected to deliver clear assurances that per pupil funding will increase - and that local differences will not be allowed to leave some schools with budget shortages.

Mr Dunford says that the government has committed itself to year on year increases in spending on education - and that funding arrangements must make certain that such increases are passed on to schools.