School weeks could be cut to just three or four days to pay for teacher salary rises and soaring energy costs, according to the Telegraph.
The newspaper reports headteachers, governors and trustees are currently holding "crisis meetings" to work out how they can keep schools afloat. Marc Jordan, the chief executive of Creative Education Trust, a multi-academy trust with 17 schools across the East and West Midlands and Norfolk, said he had heard discussions of a “three-day week” to save on costs.
Headmaster of Southend High School for Boys in Essex, Dr Robin Bevan, said: “If a four-day week is not already being planned, it will certainly be being considered” by some schools.
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Schools have struggled with financial pressures in recent years, with funding per pupil falling by nine per cent between 2010 and 2020.
The Government has plans to bring spending per pupil back to 2010 levels by committing an extra £7billion for school budgets in England by 2024.
But the Institute for Fiscal Studies warned that in 2024, spending per pupil will remain three per cent below 2010 levels after factoring in a number of rise in costs - including teacher's salaries.
A spokesman for the Department for Education said: “We recognise that schools – much like the wider economy – are facing increased costs, including on energy and staff pay.”
“Our schools white paper set out our expectation that the school week should last a minimum of 32.5 hours – the current average – for all mainstream state-funded schools. Thousands of schools already deliver this length of week within existing budgets and we expect current funding plans to account for this."
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