Cardiff Schools’ Financial Struggle: Over £20M Spent on Agency Staff Last Year
Last year, schools in Cardiff found themselves amid a financial conundrum, spending a significant amount of their budgets on agency staff. According to data obtained through a freedom of information request from Cardiff Council, schools across the capital have cumulatively expended £20 million on temporary staff placements in the 2023-24 financial year.
Leading the expenditure chart, Whitchurch High School disbursed an astonishing £1.1 million on agency staff, positioning it as the top spender. Followed closely, Llanishen High School and Ty Gwyn School, a special education establishment, recorded expenditures of £730,000 and £699,000, respectively. Notably, the figures reported encompass costs for both teaching and non-teaching temporary staff.
A spokesperson for Cardiff Council shed light on the situation, attributing the high spending levels to the current state of the labour market coupled with recent wage increases resulting from the Welsh Government’s latest pay settlement. Schools resort to hiring agency staff for various reasons, including covering short-term absences and filling positions temporarily during ongoing recruitment processes for permanent roles. The spokesperson highlighted that temporary non-teaching roles were also covered by this expenditure.
Despite the financial challenge this presents, Cardiff Council has been proactive in supporting local schools. Over recent months, council officers have worked closely with educational institutions, offering advice and support to navigate their budgeting for the upcoming year. In a move designed to alleviate financial pressures, Cardiff’s 2024-25 budget includes a 4.3% uplift, translating to an additional £12.8 million a year for schools. This increase aligns with the Welsh Government’s funding boost to the council and eliminates the need for efficiency savings in schools’ budgets.
The list of schools with the highest agency staff costs in the 2023-24 financial year offers further insight into the scale of temporary staffing costs across the city:
- Whitchurch High School – £1.1 million
- Llanishen High School – £730,000
- Ty Gwyn School – £699,000
- Woodlands High School – £590,000
- Cardiff West Community High School – £571,000
- Willows High School – £467,000
- Cantonian High School – £448,000
- Oakfield Primary School – £437,000
- Whitchurch Primary School – £394,000
- Eastern High School – £383,000
- Radyr Comprehensive – £382,000
- The Hollies School – £369,000
Regarding the procurement of agency staff, Cardiff Council most notably spent with three companies: New Directions (£2.9 million), Teaching Personnel Ltd (£2.7 million), and Apollo Teaching Services Ltd (£1 million).
The reliance on agency staff highlights broader financial challenges faced by schools not only in Cardiff but across the country. The last year has been particularly tough, with one special needs school, 35 primary schools, and two secondary schools in Cardiff setting deficit budgets for the 2023-24 financial year. It’s a precarious balance for some schools, with balanced budgets achieved only through the utilization of their one-time reserves.
As Cardiff navigates these financial waters, the collaborative efforts between Cardiff Council and local schools aim to ensure educational standards remain high while managing the fiscal realities of today’s educational landscape.
