RURAL primary schools in South Lakeland may soon have to raid teaching budgets and sacrifice resources after the Government announced a support grant that helps fund free school meals is to be cut.

The grant provided schools of fewer than 150 pupils with £2,300 to ensure children got a free hot meal everyday, but more than 90 schools throughout Cumbria will lose the money next month.

Previously, the universal infant free school meals grant had been higher and was scaled back to the current flat rate of £2,300. But with free meals remaining compulsory, 3,000 schools nationwide will have raid the coffers to keep providing them.

Schools that are to lose the grant include Ambleside CofE Primary School; Goodly Dale Primary School, Windermere; Coniston CofE Primary School; Allithwaite CofE Primary School; Cartmel CofE Primary School; Bentham Community Primary School; Caton Community Primary School and Caton St Paul's CofE Primary School.

One school that is facing hardship with the loss of the grant is Grayrigg Church of England Primary School, near Kendal, and headteacher Kirsty Cooper insists the move will be bad news for her school.

"I am obviously not happy about it," said Mrs Cooper. "We have been relying heavily on the great community support as it is. We have a mum washing pots for us because we can't afford to cover costs."

Mrs Cooper, who found out about the grant through social media rather than from the government directly, also admitted the school may have to consider dipping into other budgets to cover the costs.

Mark Squires, head at Selside Church of England Primary School, said his school has had to spend an additional £7,000 annually on staff since obligatory free school meals were introduced in September 2014 – before then they got by with two workers during lunch times.

Mr Squires said: "Because those two people are tied up behind a counter serving meals we have had to hire extra staff to clean, wash up, and supervise.

"Clearly with the grant removed the staffing bill will fall quite heavily on the budget. We are wondering at what point do other budget lines need to give because we absolutely have to provide these free meals.

"We won't be able to spend as much on IT and books. Long term we will have to look at staffing reductions elsewhere."

Cumbria County Council cabinet member for schools, Cllr Clare Feeney-Johnson believes it is unfair for the affected schools to have to further manage their budgets, and that the smallest should get to keep the grant.

She said: "The government is saying that school funding is remaining the same but an awful lot more is being added to what they (schools) have to do with it.

"The money still needs to come from somewhere. To make sure that it (provision of school meals) happens, the overall school budgets will have to fund it and be stretched.

"I don't think it's fair."

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron said: “The Lib Dems were right to introduce free school meals under the coalition, as the evidence suggests that it helps to level the playing field between students. In order to do this, however, schools will need assistance with the costs involved.

"Small rural schools will be disproportionately hit by this cut. Unless the government continues to support the provision of free school meals in these schools, their ability to provide excellent teaching will be jeopardised as they have to use their other budgets to provide meals.

"Many small rural schools will not break even on the costs of producing hot meals, because they don’t have the economies of scale that larger schools in urban areas have. The sad reality, therefore, is that they will have to dig into other budgets in order to fund this, yet this is money they need in order to deliver top quality teaching and learning."

 

Among the schools in South Lakeland, north Lancashire and north Yorkshire to be affected are:


South Lakeland:

Goodly Dale Primary School, Windermere; Lindal and Marton Primary School; Croftlands Infant School; Brough Primary School; Coniston CofE Primary School; Allithwaite CofE Primary School; Cartmel CofE Primary School; Broughton CofE School; St Cuthbert's Catholic School, Windermere; Beetham CofE Primary School, St Oswald's CofE Primary School, Burneside; Crosby Ravensworth CofE School; Crosscrake CofE Primary School; Grasmere CofE Primary School; Grayrigg CofE School; Selside Endowed CofE Primary; Leven Valley CofE Primary School, Backbarrow; Church Walk CofE Primary School, Ulverston; Warcop CofE Primary School; Ambleside CofE Primary School; Heversham St Peter's CofE Primary School; Ireleth St Peter's CofE.


North Yorkshire:

Bentham; Community Primary School Thornton in Craven Community; Primary School Horton-in-Ribblesdale CofE.


North Lancashire:

Nether Kellet Community Primary School; Caton Community Primary School; Warton Archbishop Hutton Primary School; Silverdale St John's CofE; Melling St Wilfrid CofE Primary School; Leck St Peter's CofE Primary School; Hornby St Margaret's CofE Primary School; Caton St Paul's CofE Primary School; Arkholme CofE Primary School; Carnforth Christ Church CofE; Over Kellet Wilson's Endowed CofE Primary School; Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Carnforth.