Headteachers in West Sussex say they are at “financial breaking point” because the funding they receive is “no longer sustainable” to meet the high costs of operating in south-east England.

In 2026/27 West Sussex schools have the fifth lowest secondary unit of funding in England of just over £7,100 compared to an England average of over £7,600.

While primary schools have the seventh lowest unit of funding of over £5,500 compared to an England average of nearly £6000.

Matthew Whatford, the head teacher at Imberhorne School, in East Grinstead, said rising utilities and staffing costs have put “an extraordinary strain on what is already an incredibly challenging budget position”.

Headteachers across the county have written to the  government and their MPs asking to meet with their local school leaders to discuss reviewing the area cost adjustment for West Sussex.

A landlord has been fined £5,000 following housing safety investigation.

Tandridge District Council’s Environmental Health team has successfully issued two fixed penalty notices totalling £5,000 after failing to comply with housing safety and energy efficiency requirements.

The fixed penalties were issued to Mr Ashraf Talukder, owner of the flat above 64 High Street, Lingfield, RH7 6AA, following an investigation into concerns about property conditions and legal compliance.

Investigations carried out in 2025 found the flat above business premises was occupied by three people and officers identified serious hazards during the inspection.

The owner did not engage with the Council and as a result an improvement notice was served in October 2025. A further inspection was carried out to check compliance, which found some issues had been addressed while a number remained outstanding.

These included:

• Lack of fire precautions.
• Electrics in poor condition.
• Windows either incapable of being opened or opening without restriction.
• Absence of a fully functioning kitchen.

A £3,000 fine was issued due to ongoing health and safety risks after the owner failed to rectify some of the issues outlined in the improvement notice.

An additional fine of £2,000 was issued for letting the property without a valid Energy Performance Certificate, which is an offence.

Councillor Deb Shiner, Chair of Community Services, said: “We work with landlords to help them understand and meet their legal responsibilities, but where serious hazards are identified and improvement notices are ignored, we will take formal enforcement action. This case demonstrates our commitment to protecting residents from unsafe housing and holding landlords to account.”

A new youth hub has opened in Redhill to support young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) and those facing barriers to work.

Launched on Monday 11 May by Rebecca Paul MP, Cllr Rich Michalowski, Mayor of the Borough of Reigate & Banstead and Councillor Deb Shiner, Vice Chair of Tandridge District Council, the hub is a responsive local service bringing together community partners to provide young people with access to resources, advice and guidance in one place.

It is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and delivered by Surrey Lifelong Learning Partnership (SLLP) in partnership with Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Tandridge District Council.

Focused on young people

The hub, which also includes outreach in Caterham and Oxted is focused on young people aged 18-24 and will offer services such as one-to-one employment support, supported job search sessions, workshops on interview skills and topics such as apprenticeships, preparation for work programmes, and engagement with employers through employability workshops and recruitment events.

Speaking at the opening event, Cllr Michalowski said, “We are delighted to open the Redhill Youth Hub – a brilliant initiative funded by the DWP that came out of our ongoing partnership work. We are confident that the hub will help remove some of the barriers to youth employment and provide opportunities for our young people to connect with local employers, and develop the skills needed to get them into work.”

Councillor Shiner added: “We’re proud to be supporting young people through this service. Working with our partners, we’re helping those facing barriers to employment access the advice, support and opportunities they need to take their next steps into work.”

The Redhill Youth Hub will be open every week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 76 Station Road, Redhill RH1 1PL and every Thursday from 21 May at the Woodhouse Centre, Oxted and Caterham Valley Library.

You can find out more about the hub and how to access it on the Reigate & Banstead Works website.

Photo Credit: University of Surrey

Scientists at the University of Surrey have designed a new type of aircraft sensor which they say can help pilots make safer decisions in real time.

The tiny units which are just three centimetres long help detect ice that can build up on the wings and hamper performance.

The new technology helps to give a much clearer picture of what’s happening to the wings and could also lead to improving fuel consumption due to less reliance on anti-icing systems.