The West Sussex Secondary Headteachers’ Association has written to Sussex MPs to express “profound and growing concern” over what they term “chronic underfunding”.
In its letter, the association said: “Our schools are at a financial breaking point, having had our budgets stretched repeatedly over recent years to cover unfunded and increasing costs.
“While we continue to strive for the best outcomes for our children, the disparity between our funding and the actual cost of operating in this region is no longer sustainable.
For the academic year 2026/27, West Sussex has the fifth lowest primary unit of funding, the amount a school receives per year for each pupil.
This equates to an average amount of £7,125.58, compared to an England average of £7,679.90 and a South-East average £7,360.89.
Headteachers in the county have long-pushed for the issue of funding to be recognised, with the grassroots campaign Worth Less?, which focuses on disparities, beginning in West Sussex.
However, the association says that despite the campaign highlighting funding issues, attempts to rectify them have fallen short.
It said: “Even with recent incremental increases, the “uplift” has been swallowed by rising energy costs, unfunded pay awards, and the soaring costs of SEND provision.
“We are effectively running up a down-escalator.”
It also highlighted living and operating costs in West Sussex, which are some of the highest in the UK, with average house prices now at £437,000 compared to a national average of £350,000.
In districts such as Chichester and Mid Sussex, median house prices are now 11 to 12 times higher than the median annual salary.
This is far above the national affordability ratio of 7.5.
Headteachers say this makes it nearly impossible for many staff, particularly early-career teachers, to afford to live near their schools.
This in turn contributes to ongoing recruitment and retention problems.
The association is asking MPs to push for a review of the Area Cost Adjustment, a formula used by the government to account for regional differences in the cost of providing public services.
It is also seeking minimum per-student funding levels to reflect the cost of living in the southeast, and sustainable long-term investment to move away from “sticking plaster” grants.
