Billions of school funding funnelled into private companies, NASUWT finds
New findings from the teachers’ union expose a pattern of financial mismanagement, excessive executive pay, and profiteering in SEND provision, supply teacher agencies, exam boards and academy trusts
Billions of pounds intended for education are being siphoned away from frontline teaching and funnelled into private companies and agencies leaving schools struggling, a new report has revealed.
New findings from NASUWT Teachers’ Union exposed a pattern of financial mismanagement, excessive executive pay, and profiteering in SEND provision, supply teacher agencies, exam boards and academy trusts.
The report has found that academy trust CEO salaries are soaring, with some chief executives over £500,000, consultancy spending skyrocketing, with trusts spending £412m on consultants in 2022/23, which is nearly double the amount five years ago.
In addition, private SEND schools are charging up to £61,500 per pupil, compared to £23,900 in state-funded schools.
The findings also show that schools spent £1.2bn on supply teachers in 2022/23, with agencies pocketing £300m in fees.
The report broke against a backdrop of ministers claiming there is no additional money for a fully funded pay rise for teachers and that schools may have to fund this from already tight budgets.
The NASUWT now believes the government needs to act in a “strategic” way to hold to account the private sector which is profiteering from taxpayer funds.
The union is calling for greater transparency in spending across the sector, stronger regulation to prevent profiteering, stopping the exploitation of supply teachers and SEND provision, and for teacher pay rises recommended by the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) to be fully funded.
Matt Wrack, NASUWT acting general secretary, said: “This report lays bare the shocking reality of school funding in England. While teachers struggle with inadequate resources, excessive workloads, and real-terms pay cuts, private firms and academy executives are lining their pockets with billions of pounds of public money.
“It is indefensible that some academy trust CEOs are earning over half a million pounds while schools are forced to cut staff and the services they provide to support children’s education.”
He continued: “Teachers should not have to fight for the resources they need to do their jobs. The NASUWT will continue to campaign for fair funding and proper accountability, ensuring that public money is spent where it matters most – in the classroom.”
