Get all the latest politics news Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

An outstanding school in leafy Harborne has become the latest Birmingham primary to close early every Friday as it battles crippling budget cuts.

Harborne Primary head teacher Mandy Hughes has written to confirm Friday afternoon closure will start in September, barring a sudden injection of cash for the school.

She described the measure as "a shocking reflection of the funding crisis in schools."

But in a strongly worded response, Department of Education officials said the move was "unacceptable".

“The structure of the school day should never be the cause of inconvenience to parents and carers, and it is unacceptable for schools to shorten their school week when it is not a direct action to support and enhance their pupils’ education.

"No schools in Birmingham should need to move to a shortened week for financial reasons," the spokesman added.

(Image: Getty Images Europe)

That response from the department, led by Education Secretary Damien Hinds, is the most direct challenge yet to heads in the city, where half day closing as a budget cutting measure has become a popular option.

A growing number of city primary schools are taking the step - we know of at least 13 that already close early on Fridays, or plan to from September.

Yardley MP Jess Phillips, whose son attends one of those closing early, Kings Heath Primary, has pledged to 'march on Westminster ' with an army of school kids on a Friday in protest at budget cuts.

In her letter to parents, Harborne head Miss Hughes said of the decision: "At best we are trying to avoid losing staff or reduce the support available to the pupils of our school as much as possible."

MP Preet Gill (Birmingham Edgbaston), said it was "extremely alarming" that the school had been forced to take such a step. She has asked Schools Minister Nick Gibb to visit the area and meet heads to hear first hand the impact of austerity cuts on staff, parents and pupils.

In a heartfelt letter to parents, Miss Hughes writes: "Please be assured our overriding aim is to continue to be an outstanding school, providing a nurturing environment for our happy pupils to succeed in, despite the challenging circumstances we find ourselves in due to government cuts."

She had previously written to parents warning them that drastic measures were likely because of continuing shortfalls in their spending power.

Harborne head Miss Hughes detailed the steps already taken to keep the school out of the red, including:

* Using funding earmarked for pupils with special educational needs to pay for teaching assistants

* Not renewing 10 teaching assistant contracts

* Encouraging staff to reduce their hours

* Employing more newly qualified (and therefore cheaper) teachers

* Reducing the number of senior leaders and asking them to provide teaching cover and support for pupils

* Reducing the salaries of the new head teacher and deputy head teacher roles

* Cutting salaries

The head has been in constant dialogue with parents to try to avert cuts that would impact them or their children. She first warned them of problems at a meeting in June 2017, when she appealed for help from parents and local businesses.

She said: "We have been so grateful for the amazing support over the last two years."

This has included fundraising to pay for trips and events, sending in resources and volunteering to help in classrooms.

But she adds: "Regrettably this problem has not improved at all."

Parent Emma Croom, a management consultant, whose children Ellie, 10, and Charlie, 8, attend the school, said there was anger that the school had been forced to take this step because of the state of schools funding.

"Most parents are sympathetic to the school's predicament but frustrated with the way schools are being underfunded. The head has kept us well informed and we know this is not something being done lightly. Parents certainly don't want this to happen - many of us work and we will have to work out what to do about childcare.

"But it's a lovely school and parents are really supportive.

"Our main worry is what could happen next."

Even with the changes planned, the school will still have an in-year deficit by July 2020 and, most likely, a cumulative deficit by 2021. The school is working with the city council and is "under their direction to reduce costs in order to avoid a deficit budget."

About the author: Jane Haynes Politics and People Editor Jane Haynes aims to show how political decisions made in the council chamber or Parliament affect people and communities across Birmingham and the West Midlands. Got a story you want me to investigate, or want to tell me how the proposals or decisions of politicians are affecting you? Let me know, in complete confidence, by emailing jane.haynes@reachplc.com, or send me a Tweet @janerockhouse. You should also sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, which you can do here. Twitter: @janerockhouse Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/565979940870645/ Email: jane.haynes@reachplc.com Read more by Jane Haynes HERE

Plans are also under way to restructure the teaching assistants and lunchtime supervisors posts.

Setting out the planned changes, Miss Hughes said the school was due to close on Fridays at 1.15pm from September. The move would save agency and other staffing costs as each teacher's legally protected PPA time for planning, preparation and assessment would now be taken on Friday afternoons.

The school is also going to ensure overall teaching time is not reduced by shortening lunchtimes and reducing afternoon playtimes.

Parents will also be consulted on moves to provide on site childcare.

"We are well aware and deeply regret that the impact of this decision...is a negative one for our parents and many of our staff.

The school is in the middle of a major expansion, building a new annexe to house additional pupils. This has in part caused the funding issue, says MP Preet Gill.

She says she understands the school had struck a deal with Birmingham City Council to expand to take on extra pupils because of a lack of places in the city, in exchange for funding to cover the costs of building and equipping a new annexe and other measures.

In a strongly worded letter to the council Ms Gill says: "If it is the case that Birmingham City Council are to blame for the severe financial pressure that Harborne Primary School is under, then I have to say that I am extremely disappointed and frustrated."

It is a point taken up by Miss Hughes in her communications with parents, saying: "The decisions we are facing are made even harder by the expansion, which we were asked to be part of by the local authority, in order to provide more school places in the local area.

"We believed this would help our budget by providing us with economies of scale, but this may not now be the case if the funding is not fully provided for the set-up of the annexe."

A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that all construction related costs for the Harborne Primary School annexe have been met by the council through its Basic Need grant.

“In addition, the school will receive funding for furnishing all teaching and office spaces as well as white boards for all classrooms. As this expansion is an offsite standalone provision, we are in discussion with the school to furnish large spaces such as the PE and dining hall to ensure pupils come into a fully functional school in September 2019.

“Council officers will also be meeting with the head teacher and the chair of governors to understand what further financial support is required in relation to the annexe and will accommodate anything that falls within the remit of the Basic Need grant funding.”

Birmingham schools closing early on Fridays

At least 13 primary schools are already known to close early on Friday, or are proposing to make the cut from September.

These include: Alston Primary, Bordesley Green ; Wyndliffe Primary, Bordesley Green; Leigh Primary, Washwood Heath; Bordesley Village Primary, Bordesley; Osborne Primary, Erdington , Sladefield Infants, Ward End; Holy Trinity CE Primary, Handsworth; Ark Kings Academy, Kings Norton; Somerville Primary, Small Heath; St Bernadette's Primary, Yardley; St Peter and St Paul RC Primary, Erdington; Bellfield Junior School, Northfield; Kings Heath Primary, Kings Heath.

Survey of Schools

MP Preet Kaur Gill has surveyed all headteachers in Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne and Quinton to find out the extent of the impact of budget cuts locally.

The survey revealed that a quarter of those Edgbaston schools who responded have had to make cuts to their support to children with special educational needs, and over half have had to cut spending on books and other essentials.

She raised the issue in the House of Commons earlier this week, asking Schools Minister Nick Gibb:

“In a recent survey I sent out to schools in my constituency, 82% had had their school budget cut in real terms for the current academic year and 88% were pessimistic about their funding over the next three years. Will the Minister meet with me and some of the headteachers from my constituency to discuss these findings in more detail including the implications of this governments cuts on our children and young people?”

In his reply he did not respond to her invitation, so she has written to him again to repeat the offer.

What the Department of Education says

“The structure of the school day should never be the cause of inconvenience to parents and carers, and it is unacceptable for schools to shorten their school week when it is not a direct action to support and enhance their pupils’ education.

"No schools in Birmingham should need to move to a shortened week for financial reasons. Schools in the city receive per-pupil funding that is significantly above the national average, and we have boosted the budget to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England to £6billion this year.

“While we have protected the core schools budget overall since 2010, we recognise that schools face budgeting challenges. The Education Secretary recently set out his intention to make the strongest possible case for extra resources for education in the Government-wide spending review later this year, but is also clear that teaching time should be the very last thing reduced in any school.”

The spokesperson added that heads have long had the freedom to alter the school day but the structure of the school week should never inconvenience parents. Support has been offered to Birmingham City Council from the Department of Education's School Resource Management Advisers who can support any schools with managing their budgets.

What Birmingham City Council says

Councillor Jayne Francis, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Culture, who also represents Harborne, said of the half day closing issue: “We are aware that some schools in Birmingham have reduced school hours to shorter days as a result of the financial pressures they are currently facing.

"This is a national trend and sadly other schools are telling us they may have no alternative but to consider this in the future.

"Reducing hours is not a decision any school leader takes lightly and it is absolutely unacceptable that head teachers are being put in this position.

"We will continue to lobby the government to address the policies that are adversely impacting our schools. Along with school leaders across the country, we are also campaigning for a fairer funding formula that leaves no schools worse off while redressing the historical underfunding of some schools.”

Our comprehensive coverage of the issue of half day closing so far:

Bellfield Junior School's plan to close early on Fridays triggers fury from parents: READ HERE

Closing early on Fridays has IMPROVED education at my school: READ HERE

At least TEN city schools now closing early: READ HERE

Kings Heath Primary to close on Fridays and cut special needs provision: READ HERE

Parents protest outside as Damien Hinds speaks at conference: READ HERE