Education support services at risk over planned cuts, warns LGA

As part of last year's spending review former Chancellor George Osborne announced that the education services grant (ESG), which covers services such as education welfare and school improvement, would be cut by £600m over the next five years.

The move was made as part of the government's commitment at the time to reduce councils' role in running schools. But the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned that councils still have extensive statutory duties around education, which they will struggle to carry out unless there is a U-turn on the cuts.

Other services at risk include admissions support, school transport and exam validation, says the LGA. The plea is being made as part of the LGA's submission to the Treasury, ahead of Chancellor Philip Hammond's Autumn Statement on 23 November.

The LGA says alternative support for such services, through teaching school alliances, academy chains and regional schools commissioners, are "not yet geographically comprehensive" and "do not have the track record of success that council school improvement and oversight has".

Richard Watts, chair of the LGA's children and young people board, said: "The government has been clear that councils will have a continuing role in school place planning, school admissions and protecting the needs of the most vulnerable children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.

"Councils need sufficient funding and powers to discharge these vital responsibilities.  

"The £600m proposed cut to the ESG should be reversed to maintain improvement capacity within the schools system. This will benefit both council-maintained schools and academies."

The LGA's submission adds that increasing demand and falling government grants across children's and education services will account for £1.89bn of the total local government funding gap by 2019/20.

The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.