Four schools amass £11.5m deficit, figures reveal

Monkseaton High School has the highest deficit among North Tyneside schools

Four borough schools have amassed a "significant deficit" amounting to almost £11.5m, documents have revealed.

North Tyneside Council figures show their combined deficit was 88% of the total local school deficit, which stands at £13m across 19 schools.

The highest was recorded at Monkseaton High School, with £5.3m, followed by Norham High School at £3.9m, Beacon Hill at £1.3m and Longbenton High School with £1m.

The Labour-led local authority said it was working closely with the schools to help address the financial pressures.

The total deficit has fallen slightly from last year’s total, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The council’s finance report also shows the remaining 40 schools in the area are running at a financial surplus, totalling just over £10m.

Pupil number concerns

Julie Firth, director of children’s services at North Tyneside Council, said: "In line with the national picture, a number of schools in North Tyneside are currently running with a deficit due to a variety of factors.

"Our teams are working closely with school leaders to identify opportunities for efficiencies and savings to reduce the deficit each year."

An education report dating back to September stated Monkseaton High School first fell into deficit in the 2015-16 financial year.

According to the report, the school has attempted to manage its finances through a staff restructure process, and reviewing building and maintenance costs, among others. 

In addition, concerns were raised about the number of pupils at the schools, which stood at 490, despite capacity being 955, according to government data.