A SOUTHEND headteacher has welcomed extra funding from the Government but warned it is unlikely to mean more resources for pupils.

Among the five secondary schools set to benefit from the Government’s pledge to give £5,000 per pupil to every school in the country is Southend High School for Boys, which is expected to get an extra £200 for each of their pupils.

Headteacher Dr Robin Bevan explained the ongoing financial crisis has meant extra funding is only replacing a portion of what has previously been cut.

He said: “Six months ago the Government said there wasn’t a funding difficulty in schools and were telling us that schools had more money then ever so I am delighted that senior Government ministers and the Prime Minister are recognising the complaints headteachers have made for years.

“This is considerably better than nothing and it looks like something really encouraging, however one of the problems with school funding is that it isn’t index linked. It does not go up with inflation.

“So when people put more money in, is the increase more than the amount by which costs are rising?

For this school, in 2012 – seven years ago – we got £4,950 per pupil and now we are just about to go up to £5,000 per pupil.

“What we’ve got is a one per cent increase in funding. Will this mean additional teachers, resources or extra staff? Not at all.

“The increase, however welcome, is less than the rate at which costs are rising. It is fundamental arithmetic.”

He added that he was also concerned about the current political situation in Westminster, which has seen Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for a general election.

The Brexit deadline is October 31 but the new funding is not due to come into effect until April 2020 - by then there could have been significant changes to both the country’s economy and government and with it plans.

“Can we even be sure that this promise is actually going to be realised?

“The uncertainty affects schools in planning and it is not helpful when school funding becomes a piece of political propaganda,” he said.