Telford schools to miss out on £1.5m due to Department of Education error
Schools in Telford & Wrekin will miss out on nearly £1.5m next year due to a Department of Education "error" in calculations.
The Department of Education admitted the mistake last month, when it said it had underestimated the number of pupils attending schools next year.
The Labour Party said the situation means schools losing out on £370m across the country – and £1,486,818 in Telford & Wrekin.
Councillor Shaun Davies, the Labour leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, who is also standing for the party in Telford at the next general election, said the situation was a result of incompetence.
His party said that in Telford and Wrekin schools will be on average £50 per pupil down next year due to the bungle.
Giving examples of the impact Labour pointed to analysis that sees Priorslee Academy lose £45 per pupil, Old Park Primary School lose £51 per pupil, and Telford Park school lose £69 per pupil.
The education secretary Gillian Keegan has ordered a formal review into the mistake.
Susan Acland-Hood, the DfE's top official, also apologised for the error in a letter to the Parliamentary Education Select Committee.
She said: "I apologise for this error. The secretary of state has asked me to conduct a formal review of the quality assurance process surrounding the calculation of the NFF, with independent scrutiny.
"Improvements have already been identified to ensure similar mistakes are not repeated in the future."
Councillor Davies said: "Whether it’s the Conservatives crashing the economy, dodgy deals with contractors, not facing down Covid fraud – or payments to our schools – its always working people and pensioners here in Telford picking up the cost of Conservative failure."
Bridget Phillipson MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, said: "Rishi Sunak wants young people to learn maths to 18, but he ought to get his own house in order first and teach Conservative Education Ministers how to count.
"Ministers’ staggering mathematical incompetence follows hot on the heels of disruption caused by the Conservatives which has pushed our schools to breaking point."
