Sharing the Cost with Parents: A New Model for School Funding?

"Money it's a crime. Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie." So sang Pink Floyd on their 1973 classic, Dark Side of the Moon. So what has got me to thinking about money this week? Well two things really: let me elaborate. 

Yesterday I received my budget for the 2014-15 school year. I run a large department with over 260 GCSE and 100 A Level historians as well as a good number studying government and politics. Now, thanks to a range of issues, including falling rolls, and the general squeeze on education at the moment, my budget for next year has been reduced by nearly 30% from last year's figures. With this kind of cash, I worked out that I would barley be able to cover the costs of my photocopying (which has been growing exponentially as our dwindling stocks textbooks, most dating back to the mid 1990s or earlier disappear into the ether) and materials. After some reflection, I was left puzzling quite how I was going to make ends meet. 

The second trigger for my thoughts was reading the following tweet on the DfE Twitter feed, in which one academy head  was quoted as saying:

'Being able to spend our money how we decide has allowed us to access services we need and want for our children.' http://t.co/DePgbpfBnO

— DfE (@educationgovuk) June 5, 2014

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