SCHOOL INFORMATION
SCHOOL INFORMATION
SCHOOL FUNDING FREE SCHOOL MEALS
Leicestershire has long been one of the poorest funded authorities in the country. All
Leicestershire State Schools (whether academies or not) have suffered in comparison to schools in
better funded authorities. As an example, a school in Leicester City with the same number of students as
Limehurst would receive an additional £280,000 per annum – a huge sum of money. The ‘Fairer Funding’
proposals which may be introduced across England would benefit Limehurst. However, national
overall investment in school education per pupil has dropped significantly and this seems set to
continue. Qualifying benefits:
There is a school funding crisis and unless addressed, this will inevitably affect Limehurst and our
students. Schools have been on ‘flat cash’ for several years with no prospect of any increase; set against
that are:
• The reduction of the Education Support Grant (ESG) over two years from £140 to £87 to £0 per
pupil
• Inflation which although relatively low, inevitably leads to increased costs
• Pay rises; again relatively low, but staff salaries account for approximately 80% of our budget and
a 1% pay increase is a significant amount – unfunded
• Employer contribution on teachers’ pensions rose by 2.38% from September 2015 - unfunded
• National Insurance employer contributions increased in April 2016 by 3.4% - unfunded
• Apprenticeship levy introduced in April 2017 - unfunded
While we have worked extremely hard to manage the reduction in funding, it is inevitable that eventu-
ally, the quality of education we provide will suffer. In schools up and down the country, we are seeing
funding cuts leading to:
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If you get any of the following support payments your child may be entitled to receive free school
meals:
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual
gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit
Students who receive a qualifying benefit in their own right are also allowed to receive free school
meals.
Students under the compulsory school age who are in full time education may also be entitled to
receive free school meals.
NO OTHER BENEFITS QUALIFY FOR FREE SCHOOL MEALS
How do I apply?
E-mail:[email protected]
Apply via telephone: 0116 3056588 or 0116 3057093
Fax: 0116 3055785 or contact Limehurst Academy on 01509 263444
• Fewer teachers leading to larger classes and reduced contact time with students
• Reduced support staffing leading to less support for students with a wide variety of special
educational needs
• Reduced breadth of choice, particularly in GCSE and A-level courses
• Fewer resources, less specialised equipment, older computers and software
• Greatly reduced funding for staff professional development
• Fewer opportunities for young people to engage in enrichment activities, including the removal
of subsidies for trips
• Schools reducing teaching time, with some high-profile cases recently even considering a 4-day
week SCHOOL UNIFORM
I dearly hope that we are able to maintain and further develop the range and quality of Limehurst
provision which has just been judged as good by Ofsted. The funding decisions made by this
government will determine just what we can, or cannot do. I urge you to lobby your local MP on our
behalf to make the case for fair funding for schools. If you have any queries, please contact Mrs Jo Mannion
Achievement in a Caring Environment
Students are able to purchase school uniform from the school office on the
following:
Tuesday breaktime - Orders in
Thursday breaktime - Collect order
Achievement in a Caring Environment
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