Commenting on the National Audit Office (NAO)’s report School
Funding in England, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of
the National Education Union, said:
“This important report exposes the financial difficulties schools
continue to face, even after the start of the Government’s
much-heralded funding increase for schools.
“The report also concludes that the Department for Education have
‘not systematically assessed the cost pressures arising from
COVID-19’ and that their assurances that schools didn't have
unmanageable costs arising from COVID ran counter to the
experience of the stakeholders the NAO spoke to.
“The report questions why local authorities must provide detailed
funding information on their maintained schools and yet
multi-academy trusts need not publish any information on how they
allocate funds or why.
“So yet again the Department for Education have been found out on
school funding. Yet again their assurances that schools are in a
strong financial position turn out not to be accurate. Yet again
the Department’s claims to be prioritising the most disadvantaged
turn out to be the opposite of their actions.
“Schools cannot thrive without proper financial support and
without a proper assessment of costs. pays scant
attention to his brief. We hope, however, that both he and the
Treasury will heed this report and provide the funding schools
and colleges need to allow the nation’s school children to make
up for the last year.”
