Monmouthshire’s education system is facing one of its most challenging periods in recent memory, as rising costs, staffing pressures and unprecedented financial deficits strain schools across the county.

The county’s 34 schools and its pupil referral unit are collectively grappling with a £7.5 million budget deficit, a situation that senior Labour councillors attribute to growing demand and increased operational costs, but that’s not the whole story.

Over the last four years, the Labour/Green coalition running the council has cut school budgets in real terms. Because over 90% of a school’s budget goes on staffing, there is little room for manoeuvre. Schools can’t opt to not heat their buildings, so staffing is the only area that can be cut. On top of poor financial management and a failure to arrest rising school budget deficits over the past four years, schools have also had to contend with the impact of decisions made by Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves. Their decision to increase national insurance contributions has cost Monmouthshire schools over £700,000 in the past year and that’s money that has had to be diverted from education.

Among the hardest hit is King Henry VIII 3–19 School in Abergavenny, where the financial crisis has sparked a high-profile industrial dispute. The school faces a £2.3 million deficit, which the National Education Union (NEU) has described as the largest school deficit it is aware of in Wales. Staff have repeatedly raised concerns that such financial pressures will inevitably lead to job losses and unsustainable workloads.

Strike action at the school has become a focal point of public attention. Earlier this month, NEU members staged three days of walkouts, closing the school to most pupils and prompting significant disruption for pupils and their families. Further strikes planned for late March were postponed following progress in negotiations between the school, Monmouthshire County Council and union representatives, but further strike action has not been taken off the table.

The school faces unpalatable decisions as it attempts to navigate its way out of the multimillion‑pound deficit. With an eight‑year budget recovery plan now in place, there are very real concerns that senior councillors have their heads in the sand and aren’t fronting up to the severity of the situation.

Monmouthshire’s children, families and school staff deserve honesty about the scale of the crisis and a credible plan to fix it. Senior councillors need to act urgently to get a grip on the situation.