Camden (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Camden headteachers criticize politicians over severe budget cuts, warning schools are “falling apart” and forced to meet student needs with shrinking resources.
Camden schools have lost about £6 million from their own accounts during the previous fiscal year, according to information presented to the local authority’s schools forum last Wednesday, June 4.
According to a Town Hall report, school administrators should “make sure they continue to achieve best value with reduced real-terms funding” while bracing for increased financial strain and depleting reserves.
The council reported that the borough’s dedicated grant funds had overspent by about £3.4 million, and that 12 of the borough’s schools were now in deficit, a 50% rise from the previous year.
Victor Saunders, Camden’s budget advisor for schools, stated that “unexpected reorganisation and growth costs” were the main cause of this.
A “significant and unplanned” compression on financing for students with higher needs had occurred and was expected to last at least into the upcoming fiscal year.
In response, head teachers criticized the Town Hall for its lack of communication and sounded the alarm that their circumstances had become “impossible” because of “intolerable” government policy.
“Schools are falling apart, and I don’t see an obvious response,”
said Gospel Oak Primary’s John Hayes, who asked how making more savings would cover public sector pay increases for teachers.
“We need to hear from our local politicians on how we can respond. We can’t meet children’s needs in the ever-more extreme ways we are supposed to, and we can’t balance budgets,”
he said.
Luca Salice, chair of governors at Torriano Primary School, drew attention to the fact that “the same party” was in charge of Camden Council and central government.
Jules Belton, who leads St Mary & St Pancras Primary School, said:
“There’s a sense of urgency head teachers feel on the ground every day, and, as John eloquently put it, I don’t think we feel this from politicians,”
she said.
She brought up the “woeful” response to schools’ concerns about the strain on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision and pointed out that the local authority had failed to hold the meetings that were promised.
Although St. Mary and St. Pancras did not have a deficit this year, she cautioned that one was “on the cards,” as growing expenses will inevitably have an impact on the curriculum.
She added, “Something has to give,” while the other head teachers gave mute nods.
Others emphasized the consequences of the council’s “poor communication” as well as the imminence of strike action.
Vikram Hansrani, the director of education and inclusion for Camden, admitted that several schools were facing serious issues.
He pledged to provide a thorough debrief and plan to address the issues, which are exacerbated by “existential challenges” that the borough’s schools face, prior to the council’s summer vacation.
Headteachers were requested to participate in talks with parents regarding the impact on the curriculum by Cllr Marcus Boyland, cabinet member for children and family.
He brought to the attention of his cabinet colleagues in a later meeting that Camden’s “struggling schools” were in “desperate need” because declining student enrollment had resulted in a reduction in government financing.
According to the council’s report, growing costs—primarily from staff pay increases, inflation, and energy bills—had not been offset by the government’s £10.4 million funding boost for the borough’s schools.
In addition, it stated that since the conclusion of the per pupil budget freeze, which started in 2010–11 and concluded in 2019–20, Camden schools may have experienced a real-term funding reduction of 23% by 2027.
After spending increased by more than £8 million in 2024–2025, the council had to take £5 million out of its reserves to close the SEND budget deficit.
How Camden headteachers are planning to cope with shrinking budgets and rising costs?
Headteachers in Camden are under a lot of financial strain because of declining budgets, growing staff expenses, inflation, and a rise in the need for special education needs (SEN) services.
Many school leaders caution that these tactics are “impossible” to sustain without further help, despite the fact that their coping mechanisms are influenced by both necessity and the direction of the local authorities.
The council has specifically instructed school leaders to “achieve best value with reduced real-terms funding,” which means they must carefully examine all spending and give priority to the most important services.
Some schools have filled gaps right away by using their reserves, but these monies are quickly running out. In the most recent fiscal year, the combined balances of Camden schools lost about £6 million.