Latest news with #NAHTCymru
South Wales Argus
04-07-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
NAHT Cymru on Welsh education funding 'postcode lottery'
The concerns follow the publication of Welsh Government figures showing significant differences in the funding delegated to schools by each of Wales' 22 local authorities. Laura Doel, national secretary of NAHT Cymru, said: "The variation in the amount of funding each local authority delegates to schools is ludicrous. "It is simply not fair, on schools or pupils, for there to be such a postcode lottery to how much funding they receive." She acknowledged the overall increase in per-pupil funding, now budgeted at £8,616—up 8.7 per cent from last year—but said the impact on individual schools remains unclear. Ms Doel said: "We note that there has been an increase in funding per pupil from last year, but that is of no consequence to schools if they are not seeing that increase in their budgets and it is disingenuous to say otherwise."
South Wales Argus
25-06-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
New school funding system for Wales welcomed by union
The move came in a written statement from the cabinet secretary for education. Laura Doel, national secretary at school leaders' union NAHT Cymru, said: "We've campaigned long and hard to end the messy postcode lottery in school funding in Wales which is the product of 22 different local authority funding formulas. "This system isn't fair for schools or pupils, and lacks transparency, and we're pleased the Welsh Government is finally acting upon this. "We will be studying the details of these proposals carefully to ensure they will create a fairer level playing field across the country when it comes to funding." However, Ms Doel said the reforms do not address the wider issue of underfunding in Welsh schools. She said: "Slicing the pie more equally is a good starting point from which to build a properly funded education system."
Pembrokeshire Herald
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Lifeboat launch turns out to be false alarm at Caerfai Bay
THE WELSH Conservatives' new education priorities have come under fire from a leading school leaders' union, which described the plans as 'tabloid headlines' disconnected from the real challenges facing Welsh schools. Ahead of the party's conference in Llangollen on Friday (May 17), the Conservatives outlined a series of pledges that include banning mobile phones in classrooms, reintroducing home economics, and allowing schools to convert to academy status – a system currently used in England but not in Wales. Laura Doel, national secretary of NAHT Cymru, was critical of the proposals, saying: 'The Welsh Conservatives' priorities read more like tabloid headlines than carefully considered policies for improving children's education. They are completely out of touch with reality.' Doel argued that many of the proposals were unnecessary, pointing out that home economics remains part of the curriculum under different guises, and that most schools already have effective mobile phone policies. She also dismissed the call for academies, saying: 'Changing the name above a school doesn't change the quality of teaching or experience of the pupils in it.' She added that the key concerns among school leaders remain unresolved: 'Our members' priorities are funding, the recruitment and retention of teachers, ALN reform, conditions of service for teachers and leaders, and support for small schools.' However, some of the Conservative proposals may reflect broader concerns among parents and communities. Recent surveys have shown public unease about classroom discipline, digital distraction, and pupil safety – concerns the Conservatives appear keen to address with more uniform policy approaches. A spokesperson for the Welsh Conservatives said their priorities were based on 'what parents are telling us,' and insisted that schools needed 'a clear framework for excellence, not excuses for underperformance.' They added: 'We want to empower schools, ensure pupils are learning practical life skills, and put an end to the distractions that undermine classroom discipline.' The debate comes as Welsh schools continue to adapt to the new Curriculum for Wales, amid ongoing concerns about funding pressures, teacher workloads, and falling attainment in some core subjects. A recent Estyn report found that while many schools are innovating effectively, others face 'significant challenges' in delivering consistent standards. As the Welsh education debate heats up in the run-up to the next Senedd election, all parties are expected to face scrutiny over how they plan to address long-standing structural issues in the system.
Pembrokeshire Herald
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Pembrokeshire Herald
Carmarthenshire schools launch food waste monitoring initiative
Union demands answers over fate of Welsh Government funding SCHOOL leaders from Wales will this week call on their colleagues across the UK to support efforts to prevent children in Welsh schools from being 'short-changed'. At NAHT's annual conference in Harrogate, leaders will raise concerns that additional funding received by the Welsh Government for education may not be reaching schools – or even being spent on education at all. The funding in question, known as 'consequential' money, is triggered by additional education spending by the UK Government under the Barnett Formula, such as the commitments announced in last autumn's budget. However, NAHT Cymru says it has been unable to confirm whether any of the extra funding received by the Welsh Government has reached schools, despite lodging Freedom of Information requests with officials in both Wales and England. At the same time, many headteachers in Wales are struggling to set budgets without making painful cuts, including to staffing. A recent NAHT Cymru survey found more than half (53%) of schools predicted they would be in deficit this academic year. Dean Taylor, headteacher at Pentrepoeth Primary School in Bassaleg near Newport, will urge delegates at the conference to back a motion calling for education funding in Wales to be ring-fenced. The motion states that 'education consequential funding should be ring-fenced for spending on education at Welsh Government and local authority levels, ensuring that children and young people in Wales are not short-changed.' It calls on NAHT's national executive to use its bargaining and lobbying strength to demand that all education consequentials received by the Welsh Government are spent transparently and equitably across Wales. The motion is seconded by Rebecca Penn, headteacher at Charles Williams Church in Wales Primary School in Caerleon. Laura Doel, NAHT Cymru's national secretary, said: 'At a time when schools are contemplating deficit budgets, cutting pupil spending, and making staff redundant, they deserve answers from the Welsh Government about the destination of this extra funding. 'Without transparency, there will inevitably be suspicions that this money is not reaching schools. If that is the case, it will be even harder for schools to provide the education children deserve.' Another motion, proposed by Kerina Hanson, NAHT Cymru's vice president and headteacher at Pennard Primary School near Swansea, calls for the union to campaign for the reintroduction of the Small and Rural Schools Grant. The motion states: 'Small and rural schools are an integral part of the education system in Wales. For many communities across the nation, the school is the heart of that town or village. 'The Welsh Government's Community Schools Initiative sits at odds with the reality that small and rural schools are not fairly funded or valued.' It argues that restoring the grant would help ensure small schools are properly supported during discussions about school reorganisation, prioritising the educational experience of learners. A third motion, proposed by NAHT Cymru president Dafydd Jones, headteacher at Ysgol Melyd in Prestatyn, urges the union's executive to lobby the Welsh Government to fully implement the 26 recommendations made by the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body last year. So far, only seven recommendations have been actioned, with key measures – including protected leave for school leaders and better pay and non-contact time for additional learning needs coordinators (ALNCOs) – still outstanding. The motion also calls for a fit-for-purpose school improvement service, maximising frontline funding and learner impact, following the Welsh Government's commitment to review the middle tier consortia, which it describes as 'overly bureaucratic.' NAHT's conference will take place on Friday 2 May and Saturday 3 May.
Pembrokeshire Herald
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Pembrokeshire Herald
School leaders raise alarm over missing education cash
Union demands answers over fate of Welsh Government funding SCHOOL leaders from Wales will this week call on their colleagues across the UK to support efforts to prevent children in Welsh schools from being 'short-changed'. At NAHT's annual conference in Harrogate, leaders will raise concerns that additional funding received by the Welsh Government for education may not be reaching schools – or even being spent on education at all. The funding in question, known as 'consequential' money, is triggered by additional education spending by the UK Government under the Barnett Formula, such as the commitments announced in last autumn's budget. However, NAHT Cymru says it has been unable to confirm whether any of the extra funding received by the Welsh Government has reached schools, despite lodging Freedom of Information requests with officials in both Wales and England. At the same time, many headteachers in Wales are struggling to set budgets without making painful cuts, including to staffing. A recent NAHT Cymru survey found more than half (53%) of schools predicted they would be in deficit this academic year. Dean Taylor, headteacher at Pentrepoeth Primary School in Bassaleg near Newport, will urge delegates at the conference to back a motion calling for education funding in Wales to be ring-fenced. The motion states that 'education consequential funding should be ring-fenced for spending on education at Welsh Government and local authority levels, ensuring that children and young people in Wales are not short-changed.' It calls on NAHT's national executive to use its bargaining and lobbying strength to demand that all education consequentials received by the Welsh Government are spent transparently and equitably across Wales. The motion is seconded by Rebecca Penn, headteacher at Charles Williams Church in Wales Primary School in Caerleon. Laura Doel, NAHT Cymru's national secretary, said: 'At a time when schools are contemplating deficit budgets, cutting pupil spending, and making staff redundant, they deserve answers from the Welsh Government about the destination of this extra funding. 'Without transparency, there will inevitably be suspicions that this money is not reaching schools. If that is the case, it will be even harder for schools to provide the education children deserve.' Another motion, proposed by Kerina Hanson, NAHT Cymru's vice president and headteacher at Pennard Primary School near Swansea, calls for the union to campaign for the reintroduction of the Small and Rural Schools Grant. The motion states: 'Small and rural schools are an integral part of the education system in Wales. For many communities across the nation, the school is the heart of that town or village. 'The Welsh Government's Community Schools Initiative sits at odds with the reality that small and rural schools are not fairly funded or valued.' It argues that restoring the grant would help ensure small schools are properly supported during discussions about school reorganisation, prioritising the educational experience of learners. A third motion, proposed by NAHT Cymru president Dafydd Jones, headteacher at Ysgol Melyd in Prestatyn, urges the union's executive to lobby the Welsh Government to fully implement the 26 recommendations made by the Independent Welsh Pay Review Body last year. So far, only seven recommendations have been actioned, with key measures – including protected leave for school leaders and better pay and non-contact time for additional learning needs coordinators (ALNCOs) – still outstanding. The motion also calls for a fit-for-purpose school improvement service, maximising frontline funding and learner impact, following the Welsh Government's commitment to review the middle tier consortia, which it describes as 'overly bureaucratic.' NAHT's conference will take place on Friday 2 May and Saturday 3 May.
