Headteachers have described how they are cutting subjects including maths and music, not replacing staff, merging and making class sizes bigger with budgets in “crisis”. More than half (53%) of school leaders in Wales are predicting a budget deficit this academic year with estimates that the deficits run into many millions of pounds affecting all 22 local authority areas. The bleak finding - nearly double the 29% who reported a deficit last year - comes after school leaders’ union NAHT Cymru surveyed its members.
More than a quarter (27%) said they were predicting a deficit for the first time ever in 2024/25 and every single one said they did not receive sufficient funding to meet the needs of all their pupils fully. Chris Parry, headteacher at Lewis School Pengam, is among heads around Wales forced to cut the curriculum to save costs as he faces a deficit for the first time in his 12 years in the post. He had to withdraw the offer of further maths A level this year and has also stopped running A level music as the school tackles a £300,000 deficit projected to balloon to £1m in three years without action.
For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter . Read next: Welsh Government 'benefits squeeze' leaving low income children without free school meals, group warns Don't miss: Teachers, doctors and civil servants in Wales to get pay rises Mr Parry said said a combination of factors have left schools without the funds they need including s.