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| Birmingham pupils sent home early to save school money | Birmingham pupils sent home early to save school money |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A head teacher has cut the number of hours children spend at school in a bid to save money. | A head teacher has cut the number of hours children spend at school in a bid to save money. |
| Neil Porter said he would save £18,500 by cutting the school day by an hour and 20 minutes every Friday at St Peter and St Paul RC Junior and Infant School in Birmingham. | Neil Porter said he would save £18,500 by cutting the school day by an hour and 20 minutes every Friday at St Peter and St Paul RC Junior and Infant School in Birmingham. |
| It comes as head teachers hand a petition in to government in protest at school funding cuts. | It comes as head teachers hand a petition in to government in protest at school funding cuts. |
| The Department for Education (DfE) said record amounts were being invested. | The Department for Education (DfE) said record amounts were being invested. |
| The day finishes at 15:20 BST Monday to Thursday at the Erdington school. | The day finishes at 15:20 BST Monday to Thursday at the Erdington school. |
| But on a Friday after lunch, pupils now go into a whole-school assembly with the head teacher at 13:00. They are then picked up by parents at 14:00. | But on a Friday after lunch, pupils now go into a whole-school assembly with the head teacher at 13:00. They are then picked up by parents at 14:00. |
| One parent said both she and her husband had been forced to change their working hours so they could pick their children up at the new time. | One parent said both she and her husband had been forced to change their working hours so they could pick their children up at the new time. |
| The change has also meant the children have five minutes less at lunch and stay five minutes longer at school Monday to Thursday. | The change has also meant the children have five minutes less at lunch and stay five minutes longer at school Monday to Thursday. |
| Teachers spend the child-free time on Fridays at school for planning, preparation and assessment (PPA), to which they are statutorily entitled. | Teachers spend the child-free time on Fridays at school for planning, preparation and assessment (PPA), to which they are statutorily entitled. |
| Rather than pay for supply staff to supervise children, Mr Porter said he decided to send them home. | Rather than pay for supply staff to supervise children, Mr Porter said he decided to send them home. |
| He said: "It was probably the most challenging thing I've had to do as a head teacher, as lots of my parents work and we are not in an affluent area, so they were very concerned about the impact." | He said: "It was probably the most challenging thing I've had to do as a head teacher, as lots of my parents work and we are not in an affluent area, so they were very concerned about the impact." |
| He added he has also saved cash by not replacing a teaching assistant and two full-time teachers who voluntarily reduced their hours to part-time. | He added he has also saved cash by not replacing a teaching assistant and two full-time teachers who voluntarily reduced their hours to part-time. |
| He said the cost-cutting measures have allowed him to reduce his school year budget deficit from £26,000 to £4,000. | |
| He also said the total budget for the school is £970,000 - which is less than the £983,000 he was given last year. | |
| 'I had to cut my work hours' | 'I had to cut my work hours' |
| Mother-of-three boys Juliette O'Donnell said she had to take a cut in her job hours and her husband now has to work weekends due to the change in finish time at the school. | Mother-of-three boys Juliette O'Donnell said she had to take a cut in her job hours and her husband now has to work weekends due to the change in finish time at the school. |
| She said: "That early finish has meant parents having to take a pay cut as we have done, or having to pay extra for additional childcare. | She said: "That early finish has meant parents having to take a pay cut as we have done, or having to pay extra for additional childcare. |
| "A lot of families are having to get grandparents in to pick up on Friday, and when something falls through it can be quite difficult." | "A lot of families are having to get grandparents in to pick up on Friday, and when something falls through it can be quite difficult." |
| Birmingham City Council-maintained schools have hundreds of pounds a year less to spend per pupil in real terms than they had four years ago, according to DfE statistics. | Birmingham City Council-maintained schools have hundreds of pounds a year less to spend per pupil in real terms than they had four years ago, according to DfE statistics. |
| But the government said Birmingham received £909m for its schools this year 2018-19, which is a £4m increase on 2017-18. | But the government said Birmingham received £909m for its schools this year 2018-19, which is a £4m increase on 2017-18. |
| A DfE spokesman said: "We know that we are asking schools to do more, which is why we are helping them to reduce the £10bn spent each year on non-staffing costs, providing government-backed deals for things like printers and energy suppliers that are helping to save millions of pounds." | A DfE spokesman said: "We know that we are asking schools to do more, which is why we are helping them to reduce the £10bn spent each year on non-staffing costs, providing government-backed deals for things like printers and energy suppliers that are helping to save millions of pounds." |