London school closes early in funding crisis
A head teacher has sent children home and closed his school early, claiming he has too little money available to pay for supply teachers for the afternoon.
Edenham High School in Croydon head teacher Jonathan Parker says that the school has done all it can to reduce the school’s deficit, but that it is unable to do more without such closures.
Letters were sent to parents to inform them of the situation. It is reported that Croyden’s Local Education Authority was told last night and will hold a meeting with the school this afternoon.
There appears to be little blame directed towards the LEA over the issue. Not only does the school not blame the LEA, but Liberal Democrat frontbencher Phil Willis said he had not heard of any school across the country blaming the LEA for present funding difficulties.
And he accused the Education Secretary Charles Clarke of refusing to ‘take his head out of the sand’ over the budgetary shortfalls.
Last week Mr Clarke outlined temporary measures to allow head teachers greater control over the allocation of this year’s budget in an attempt to ease the financial difficulties faced by some schools.
For his part, Mr Parker insists that he is not a political person and that he has not sought media coverage, but says that he felt he needed to fight for his school.
The school has reduced its deficit to £90,000 and claims that supply teachers cost so much that cuts in this area are the only option left for reducing losses.
