Headteachers and CEOs of more than seventy schools in Bath and North East Somerset – virtually every school in the area, have sent letters home to pupils’ parents, carers and families to warn them about the lack of funding facing schools and the ‘tough decisions’ they are having to make as a consequence.

The letters will be sent to more than 25,000 homes. They warn that funding shortages will mean bigger class sizes, fewer teaching assistants and support staff, inadequate support for children with additional needs, from SEN to mental health support, and less funding for equipment, training and activities to promote a broad and balanced curriculum.

The letters invite parents and pupils to take part in a ‘protest picnic’ on Saturday, 8th June at the Royal Crescent in Bath, encouraging them to bring drums to bang out ‘SOS’ in Morse code. Protestors will meet at Queen Square at 12 noon, with a march at 12.30 p.m., before joining the protest picnic at the Royal Crescent at 1 p.m.

The letter also asks parents to sign a petition to local MPs, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Wera Hobhouse: https://www.change.org/p/jacob-rees-mogg-schools-are-in-crisis-over-lack-of-funding.

The letters say: ‘This is directly affecting our schools now. Schools in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) are experiencing unprecedented cuts to school budgets. Between 2013/14 and 2018/19, spending per child in B&NES’ schools is down in real terms by -8.8% in the Bath constituency and -6.7% in North East Somerset; while pupil numbers and costs have gone up.

‘Our priority is to provide your children with the best education we can, and we are working hard with our teams to cope. But we are reaching breaking point and we are now being forced to take really tough decisions.’

Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of the school leaders’ union, NAHT, said: “The government has acknowledged that school budgets are under pressure, and that schools are expected to do more. They also acknowledge these new demands cost more money than before.

“They also cannot have failed to notice the steady procession of school leaders, governors, parents and others campaigning for more money for schools. It is therefore utterly inexplicable that they have failed to act. Only new money from the Treasury can solve the school funding crisis.”

Wera Hobhouse, MP for Bath, and long-standing supporter of the campaign, said: “I don’t know how many times I’ve shouted about this in the streets alongside teachers, and alongside my colleagues in Westminster. The Government just say, ‘we’ve spent more money on schools this year than last year’, which is completely disingenuous.

“They are intentionally hiding behind willfully out-of-context figures.

“The bottom line is, our children’s education is suffering. Not only is this Government completely incapable of doing anything positive in our society, but they are actively ignoring the problems. Please join us on the 8th June, so we can collectively drag their heads out of the sand.”

John Snell, Headteacher of Welton Primary School, said: “The underfunding of schools is unjust and immoral. Society will look back in a few years and think, why did we allow that to happen?”

Julie Hogan, Headteacher of Paulton Infants School, said: “The system is broken, and our young people are being systematically failed by the generation who should be nurturing, educating and empowering them. Without adequate funding, resources to meet the needs of our children, the future looks very bleak indeed.”

Damian Knollys, Headteacher of Peasedown St John Primary School, adds: “The Government has failed to understand that education is an investment in the country’s future, not simply a cost on a balance sheet.”

Joe Beament, Headteacher of St Saviour’s Junior School in Bath, said: “There is significant pressure on school budgets, schools across Bath, and the country, are making difficult decisions.

“These choices are having an impact on the quality of education we offer the children, as we are forced to reduce resources and teacher assistant time and consider increases in class sizes or even closing early.

“Teachers and school staff have always gone that extra mile; we see the children every day, we put in the extra hours and work ‘above and beyond’ to support the children, giving them the very best experiences and education.

“However, without adequate funding, the offer to the children will reduce and the pressure on school staff will increase.

“The Government’s misleading ‘sound bites’ are a smoke screen to the reality of school finances.”