Council budget 2023-24: What it means for Education and Family Support

Budget proposals for 2023-24 have been endorsed by the Cabinet of Bridgend County Borough Council to ensure the local authority can continue to provide essential services and meet some of the most difficult challenges that it has ever faced.

If agreed when it goes before Council for a final decision on 1 March, the budget would mean that the authority will spend £137m on services delivered by the Education and Family Support Directorate over the coming year, £110m of which would go to schools to support running costs, teacher and staff salaries and more.

In terms of capital investment, a total of £26.9m will be invested in 2023-24. This includes £1.6m for a new teaching block at Bryntirion Comprehensive, £1.1m to establish Welsh medium childcare provision in Bridgend and Porthcawl, and £950,000 for extensions at Coety and Pencoed primary schools.

With more than £1.9m to support the ongoing refurbishment of school kitchens and the rollout of free school meals, £386,000 will be invested in an all-weather sports pitch at Brynteg School, and £220,000 to provide high-quality mobile classrooms at Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Ogwr.

The council has already spent £21.6m in building and refurbishing schools as part of Band A of its 21st Century School Modernisation programme, and has committed to a further £19m as part of Band B. More than £10.5m has been assigned for Band B schools in 2023-24, along with £3,300 for associated highways schemes.

Abercerdin Primary School will receive £267,000 to establish a new learning hub, and £71,000 will be invested in traffic safety work around local schools. Schools will also receive more than £3.9m through the capital maintenance grant, while £548,000 will support work to help them develop more facilities that can be shared with the local community.

While around £40,000 is being saved by delegating some transport responsibilities to providers, schools are also being asked to accommodate savings of £2.1m for 2023-24 – the first time they have been asked to do so since 2010-11.

Traditionally, we have always done everything in our power to protect and defend school budgets, and I am proud of the fact that we have been able to achieve this over the last decade, all while covering an overall £72m shortfall in council funding. Unfortunately, as we are now at a point where it is no longer possible to do this, we are asking head teachers to work with us on establishing where efficiency savings can be made.

We believe this is achievable because the council is also covering the pay settlement for teachers, which means an increase in the amount of net funding for schools. Similarly, while home-to-school transport was originally considered as another area where savings could be made, careful financial planning has meant that we are no longer proposing to make cuts to this service.

After more than a decade of having to find year-on-year savings and develop new ways of delivering services, the 2023-24 budget has definitely been one of the toughest that we have had to set as an authority, but I am pleased that it also includes more than £26.9m capital investment which will be used to provide new facilities and services within local schools. With this budget, we have prioritised the wellbeing of our pupils, and are ensuring that they have the learning environments and support that they need in order to benefit from the best possible start in life that we can give them.

Councillor Jon-Paul Blundell, Cabinet Member for Education

The council’s budget for 2023-24 will be discussed by all members at full Council on Wednesday 1 March before a final decision is taken.