Compulsory redundancies avoided at Leven Primary School – but four staff will leave

A CASH-strapped school has avoided compulsory redundancies but is still set to lose staff as it looks to balance it books.

Leven Primary School has halted the redundancy process for six teaching assistants.

But the school, which needs to cut £130,000 over three years, is still set to lose four staff.

Parents have been told a teaching assistant has asked to take voluntary redundancy, the deputy head has resigned, a teacher has secured another post and an ICT support role will cease at Easter.

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Although there will be some incoming teaching staff, salary savings will help the school stay in the black.

Headteacher Andy Dolman said: "We have just been able to balance the books.

"We are looking at being in the black by about £2,000. It's a very tight budget."

A bigger-than-expected pupil intake in September and other savings will help the 163-pupil school balance its books.

Mr Dolman said: "It's lots of small savings that have made a difference.

"It's a huge weight off everyone's shoulders."

Government funding changes, including the axing of a subsidy for infant class sizes, had left the school short-changed by £40,000 per year.

Mr Dolman said many schools would be forced into cuts to help balance their books.

He said: "This is the first time we have been in this position but there will be more schools making people redundant."

The GMB had urged Leven Primary to protect the jobs of the six teaching assistants threatened with redundancy.

GMB organisation officer Ester Marriott said: "I'm glad no one will be forced out of their jobs at Leven Primary School but I do think there will be redundancies at more schools.

"It's because of changes in government funding for schools, savings will need to be made at every school.

"Every school at the minute is going through the process of looking at pupil numbers, budgets and potential redundancies."

John Killeen, East Riding branch secretary for the National Association of Head Teachers, said the East Riding is one of the worst-funded education authorities in the country.

He said: "There are concerns locally about the ongoing impact of funding formula changes and there is no commitment to actually redressing this imbalance of funding to local authorities."