Rayner comments on schools funding announcement

Angela Rayner MP. Labour's Shadow Secretary of State for Education, commenting on the Prime Minister’s schools funding announcement, said:

"This funding will still not reverse years of Tory cuts to our schools. Even after this funding is in place, our schools will be hundreds of millions of pounds worse off than they were in 2010.

"It is time for the government to match Labour’s commitment to young people and give all our schools the resources they need by reversing their school cuts in full."

Notes to Editors

• The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies found that under the Conservatives' spending plans schools would still be worse off in 2022-23 compared to 2010 funding levels:

"comes very close to reversing the 8% cut in total school spending per pupil seen since 2009–10.42 By 2022–23, spending per pupil would remain about 0.7% below its peak in 2009–10. Fully closing this gap would cost an additional £300 million (2019–20 prices) over and above existing plans"

https://www.ifs.org.uk/uploads/R162-Education-spending-in-England-2019.pdf, p54

• The same analysis finds that the Tories' spending plans would mean that school spending has not increased, in real terms, from 13 years between 2010 and 2022-23. 
• The specific commitment to "level up" minimum levels of per pupil funding will disproportionately benefit schools with more affluent intakes compared to those with more disadvantaged pupils. The independent Education Policy Institute have found that:
  "Primary schools in which less than five per cent of pupils are eligible for free school meals – just one or two pupils in each year group – would see an average increase in per pupil funding of £271, while almost all schools serving the most disadvantaged communities would miss out. Overall, the average pupil eligible for free school meals would attract an additional £56 under this proposal, while the average pupil not eligible for free school meals would attract an additional £116."
  https://epi.org.uk/publications-and-research/analysis-the-prime-ministers-promise-to-level-up-school-funding/