Responses to the announcement on national funding formula for schools

Responding to Education Secretary Justine Greening’s statement on the National Funding Formula for schools, Cllr Richard Watts, Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said:

"Councils and the LGA have long called for a fairer funding system for all schools to ensure that all children have equal opportunities and have been clear that the setting of school budgets works best when done at a local level, with councils working with head teachers, governors and schools forums to determine need and priorities.

“We are pleased that the Government has committed to ensuring no school is worse off as a result of the national funding formula and has announced some additional funding, however we need urgent assurance that it is not coming at the expense of other education provision. We look forward to receiving further details from the Government about where the money is coming from and how it will be distributed.

“Retaining local flexibility over the distribution of school funding is essential and we are pleased that the Government has listened to the LGA and local authorities by recognising their role and extending the soft formula until 2019/20.

“We look forward to working with the Education Secretary on creating more school places through the establishment of 30 new schools in consultation with local authorities, this is something the LGA has long called for. However, government must go further in recognising councils’ role in creating school places by giving all councils the power to build schools where they are needed.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s response

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I have said for many months that the Government’s proposed changes to the National Funding Formula will result in an education crisis for London. As a result, schools in every single one of the capital’s 33 local authorities will lose funding and London pupils are losing out.

“I am disappointed that ministers continue to ignore my advice, and that of so many schools, boroughs and parents in London.

“The implications are severe - we will lose teachers, standards risk dropping dramatically, special educational needs units will be impacted, school days could be shorter, extracurricular activities could become a thing of the past, and pupils will suffer. It is a kick in the teeth for everyone who has worked so hard in recent years to make London an international beacon for education, with a proven track record in supporting disadvantaged pupils.

“The capital’s schools are being penalised for success.

“£1.3billion extra added to the core education budget over two years may sound like good news – but it is not new money and will come from existing budgets.

“As a Mayor for all Londoners, I want to see all our young people get the best possible start in life. We need to work together and fight for a fairly funded school system that will work for our youngsters for generations to come.”

Today’s announcement is nothing more than a sticking plaster - Rayner

Angela Rayner MP, Shadow Education Secretary, commenting on the Government’s school funding formula announcement, said:

“Today’s announcement is nothing more than a sticking plaster. The Tories have already cut billions of pounds from school budgets and this announcement will do nothing to help the schools struggling as a result.

“They are not committing any new money and have not been clear about exactly what programmes they will be cutting to plug the funding back hole.

“The climb down on the implementation National Funding Formula is simply the latest sign that this zombie government is weak and wobbly.”