School funding will be made simpler, fairer and more
transparent as the Government levels up education across
the country.
At the moment, the Government provides funding for schools
according to a formula that takes account of factors
including the needs of individual pupils and much more. But
each local council sets its own formula for how to
distribute that funding between schools in its area. It
means similar schools can get different levels of funding –
just because they happen to be in different parts of the
country.
Today, Thursday 8 July, the Government is launching a
consultation that seeks views on how to simplify that
process and, ensure all schools are funded on a single,
fair and consistent basis.
The Government is providing the biggest uplift to school
funding in a decade – £14 billion in total over the three
years to 2022-23 –as well as investing in early years
education and targeting our ambitious recovery funding,
worth £3 billion to date, to support disadvantaged pupils
aged two to 19 with their attainment.
School Standards Minister said:
Parents and families deserve to know that the extra money
we are putting into the education system is benefitting
their children, wherever they live.
We are delivering the biggest increase in school funding
in a decade, with total additional funding of over £14bn
over three years – but it is important the money is
distributed fairly.
We’ve already taken significant steps by removing the
postcode lottery of the previous funding system but now
it is time to go further and make the system simpler and
more transparent – and ensure every school is treated
fairly, wherever it is in the country.
The proposals in this consultation will help to complete
the current programme of reforms to the funding system. It
will make the funding system simpler and more transparent
for all involved by better matching funding to the needs of
each school and delivering on the government’s manifesto
commitment to level up education across the country.
It will also help to underpin the government’s ambition for
all schools to be part of a strong multi-academy trust,
meaning all schools within a multi academy trust will be
funded on a consistent basis, regardless of which local
authority they happen to be located in. This will provide
trusts with the predictability needed to make the best use
of resources and drive up academic standards.
The consultation will allow the department, with the
sector, to work through how specific aspects of the current
funding system would need to change and be developed,
including:
- Ensuring a smooth transition for schools as we
implement reforms.
- Supporting effective SEND provision for schools.
- Developing the schools NFF, particularly to improve how
funding is allocated to schools that face additional
premises costs.
This is the first stage of the consultation on these
reforms to the NFF, and it will be open for responses until
Thursday 30 September. A second stage consultation will be
published at a later date with more detailed proposals,
following feedback to this first consultation. The
department recognises that these proposals mark a major
reform to the funding system, and is therefore taking a
gradual, measured approach. In completing these reforms to
the NFF over a number of years, we will consider the impact
of each transitional step before making the next move. A
majority of local authorities have moved towards the NFF
since its introduction in 2018- 19. 73 local authorities,
of 150, are now mirroring the NFF funding factors almost
exactly. Our proposals will ensure continued, gradual
movement of LA formulae towards the NFF.
