A new council report lays bare the difficulty that the new Green administration faces in terms of schools and children’s services, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
The new Green administration in Waltham Forest will need to contend with falling pupil numbers against rising costs, a new report warns.
Several areas within children’s services are “hugely costly” and present “financial risks,” according to an introductory report published for the new scrutiny committee.
The directorate works with around 2,000 children at any one time, and social care is one of the biggest financial strains on the council.
Prior to the Greens taking over in late May, the former Labour-run town hall revealed that 80% of its spending went on social care and housing costs.
Children’s services is a “volatile” sector and schools are “increasingly struggling to achieve a balanced budget” as fewer pupils enroll, the report says.
Deficits are increasing year-on-year and while schools are in charge of setting their budgets, the financial risk becomes the council’s responsibility when they fail.
The council has previously said the funding shortage is directly linked to the declining student body.
The Echo reported last month Henry Maynard Primary School, in Walthamstow, was operating with a shortfall of around 137 students.
“This creates a budget deficit of around £500,000 from government grants,” a spokesperson for the town hall said.
Additionally, the increasing cost of providing care for pupils with special educational needs (SEND) is using up more and more of the council’s grant funding.
The increasing numbers of SEND children in the borough – in line with its increasing population – is also taking a toll on the transport budget. This is then compounded by external factors, such as rising fuel prices.
These problems are not unique to Waltham Forest and councils across London have campaigned for more sustainable funding.
Though funding has improved in recent years, the town hall is faced with the challenge of “managing a lot of change at pace, whilst maintaining safe systems and service delivery”.
The Greens will also oversee the publication of a SEND reform paper, aimed at reversing the “inconsistent outcomes” for SEND children identified by Ofsted in 2025.
Read more: ‘Schools face reduced attainment or closure amid declining pupil rolls, councils warn’
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