Mr Oakley and BBC Radio 5 Live
“Every child has the right to attend their local school. – James Oakley”
If you caught the Nicky Campbell with Chris Warburton show on BBC Radio 5 Live this morning you would have caught our incredible headteacher Mr James Oakley from Mendip Green School talking about the lack of education funding for SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) provision.
According to the most recent BBC Radio 5 Live commissioned Teacher Tapp survey, 44% of state primary school headteachers reported SEN funding as their top financial concern. ELAN primary schools have high ratios of support staff to ensure they can be as fully inclusive as possible for all children, but budgets have been heavily affected by the lack of funding to meet support staff pay rises. Our support staff deserve pay increases because they do a superb job. They are the lifeblood of our schools and we could not provide such a high standard of care, inclusivity, and education that we do without them. As an employer, we must remain competitive too to attract and retain the best staff.
Headteachers and their teams work tirelessly to work in an efficient and effective way, and as a trust, we do everything to save money such as pooling resources and bulk-buying utilities, services, and essentials through central services and drawing on excellent links with local agencies. Despite financial constraints, we've maintained an exceptional educational offer for our students. This is a testament to the creativity, commitment, and resourcefulness of our staff. In the meantime, we continue to fight for government funding that aligns with their stated educational priorities.