A new survey suggests almost 70 per cent of primary schools are struggling to make ends meet following the pandemic, saying they lack the funds to provide adequate care and make up for the disruptions that the coronavirus caused. 

A survey by the Sutton Trust suggests 51 per cent of primary schools have had to cut teaching assistants as a result.

Speaking to Premier in response to the findings, Steve Beegoo, CEO of the Christian Schools Trust said: "I wasn't entirely surprised seeing those figures that schools really are struggling to fulfil all the roles that we expect of them. 

"In society, not only do we expect them to educate our children, we expect them to feed them, to care for them, to handle their mental health and behaviour issues.

"Since everything that's happened with Covid - after the last couple of years - those pressures have only really increased for those schools. 

"So to hear schools saying 'we really are struggling; we haven't been given enough money to be able to meet the needs of our pupils' is by no means a surprise.

Beegoo believes things are likely to get worse before they get better, as the cost of living rockets and energy prices soar.

He continued: "You understand the issues of the other costs that schools are facing - you may be struggling with your own household energy prices at the moment - you can imagine the school with the school corridors and halls and the lighting and the heating costs, how they're going to be increasing for schools. 

"Are they going to be asked to further cut staff to be able to meet those costs?"