Kent grammar schools remain underfunded

While the charity status of public schools such as Eton and Harrow continues to divide the nation Kent’s grammar schools remain underfunded.

Attempts to abolish grammar schools in the previous century have resulted in Kent being one of the only areas left in the country to have the schools, many of which have fallen victim to underfunding.

In 2016/17 English grammar schools received on average £4,500 per pupil while other state schools received £5,200. When extra funds for grammar schools became available last year some half dozen Kent grammar schools out of a total of 162 in the county applied for the funds.

Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School in Ramsgate is one of the underfunded institutions.

Assistant Headteacher at the school, Thomas Richford, spoke about the negative effects of underfunding on the day to day working of the school.

“We have had significant real term budget cuts over the past few years which continue to make running a school effectively very challenging which is having impacts on education.”

Commenting on the common misconception that grammar schools require less funding than other state schools, Richford said, “Grammar schools should receive equal funding, we too have challenging students in terms of behavior but also try and extend the students at the top end to succeed and be the higher achievers, having less funds makes this more challenging than it should be.”

The Year 7 rugby team at Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School. Photo courtesy of Chatham and Clarendon Grammar School.

As grammar schools across the country struggle with limited funds prestigious public schools maintain their charity status meaning they receive tax relief. Public schools use the charitable purpose of the ‘advancement of education’ and therefore qualify for this relief.

According to a study of local council records in 2018, independent schools were set to receive tax rebates totalling £522 million between 2018 and 2023.

In a column on the charity status of private schools for the Guardian last year Dr Frances Ryan wrote, “In subsidising wealthy people instead of helping poor children, they perpetuate inequality in education and beyond.”

However, it looks like the luck of these elitist schools could be running out. A memo leaked to the Telegraph last month noted that the Labor Party is considering making a manifesto pledge to remove tax breaks from the private and public school sector.

Axing the charitable status of many public and private schools would help to create more equality between these schools and state institutions, including grammar schools.

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