YOU may have noticed a little bit of to and fro from Harlow MP Robert Halfon and the Chief Executive of the Passmores Learning Community, Vic Goddard.

Previous correspondence can be found on our education and politics pages.

We thought, we would give Mr Goddard, the final word. Unless of course, other educationalists would like to have their sY.

Vic Goddard said: “”As I said in my previous statement; Robert has always been an advocate for our schools and I appreciate it. However, as it stands, there is zero likelihood that the funding increase that Robert has released will be received. Schools continue to have funding lower than pre 2010 when his party came into power and the latest pay announcement may seem to be good news but this govt is not funding them. Therefore, they are yet another cut in the money available to buy resources for the young people.

From 2009/10 to 2019/20 schools saw the biggest cut in real terms funding in 40 years and the increased funding has not closed that gap substantially. These cuts have hit areas like Harlow most with a 14% loss compared to 9% in other parts of the country. This is the exact opposite of the government ‘levelling up’ agenda. In fact the Institute for Fiscal Studies stated that:

“The cuts to education spending over the last decade are effectively without precedent in postwar UK history.”

The extra funding announced COULD return schools to 2010 levels but only if enforced which is not what is happening currently.

The truth is education has taken hit after hit to funding and, despite Robert’s hard work, there is no end in sight. I would be incredibly frustrated if I was him as the people making decisions in government are simply not investing in education and he is left to try and find positives from what is an increasingly dire situation. 

Having had to lose good staff, that are Harlow people, that do important jobs for our children in the past I really don’t want to go there again but it looks inevitable.

The saddest part is that Passmores is a school that is held up nationally for welcoming the whole community and Robert has given us many opportunities to share that with government ministers. However, the funding cuts have disproportionately hit schools that have an inclusive approach despite the government stating how important inclusion is in its recent white and Green papers. 

The enormous increase in costs for gas and electricity (increases of hundreds of thousands of pounds) along with unfunded pay rises will push many schools over the edge. So, I urge Robert to speak to the headteachers locally to see the true impact of the continued under investment in education on the children of Harlow and the adults that work in it’s schools. 

I will always be grateful for the good working relationship I have with Robert as he has helped in many ways over the last 10 years. Whenever, we have needed support he has tried his best to provide it. However, quoting per pupil funding without being honest about the real term costs gives a false impression to our community. If ‘levelling up’ is going to work we need the tools to do it and just setting increasingly higher targets will not achieve what is desired by all of us. It will just drive good people out of the profession. 

Having served Harlow as a teacher for over 20 years I feel privileged to be a headteacher in the town and to be trusted by the community. I am committed to doing my best but I am increasingly frustrated that it is being made harder by the fact that this government has consistently cut funding, when compared to increased costs, inflation etc.

I wish Robert hadn’t released figures that give a false picture of the funding we have, and will, receive. It puts me in a position where I feel I need to speak up for the children and families I serve but they would expect me to do as I always have – fight for their best interests.’