Private schools cut back in downturn

One school which was enjoying high pupil numbers, a teacher admitted the closure of other local independent schools had allowed them to take advantage and recruit more students?Photo: Alamy

More than one in three teachers and four in 10 non-academic and support staff have are facing pay freezes this year, according to figures from the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) union.

A survey of more than 1,500 school staff found that 46 per cent had seen spending fall in their school this year, with the same percentage expecting a drop this year.

But more than a quarter of those questioned claimed their school had raised fees by at least two per cent this year, with ten per cent saying they had gone up by four per cent or more.

While some schools are thriving despite the economic downturn, others are suffering from a fall in pupil numbers, the ATL said.

More than a quarter of respondents reported that their school had fewer pupils this academic year, but 37 per cent said numbers had gone up.

Some reported that competition from local grammar schools and financial pressures were turning parents away, while a teacher at a school in Lancashire said they were recruiting fewer British and European pupils and more from Nigeria.

At one school which was enjoying high pupil numbers, a teacher admitted the closure of other local independent schools had allowed them to take advantage and recruit more students.

Almost two thirds of staff said they did not expect their school to make any redundancies this year, but there were fears that staff numbers could still fall as recruitment slows down.

One head admitted: "Financial constraints meant when a member of the leadership team left they were not replaced – and we are all doing extra work to cover it – very long hours are now almost impossible hours."

Dr Mary Bousted, ATL general secretary, said: "The majority of staff in independent schools are feeling the full pain of a pay freeze or a well below inflation increase.

"While it is understandable that schools need to keep their costs down in the current economic climate, it is not acceptable for any to use it as an excuse to exploit their staff."