Budget boost to help ensure a good school place for every child

This week’s Budget will confirm an investment boost of over half a billion pounds to build on the Prime Minister’s commitment to ensure that every child has the opportunity of a place at a good school, whatever their background.

The Chancellor, Philip Hammond will confirm:

• ·           The extension of the free schools programme with investment of £320 million to help fund up to 140 schools, creating well over 70,000 new places. This will build on the government’s ongoing commitment to open 500 new free schools by September 2020, giving parents greater choice in finding a good school for their child. This includes funding for specialist maths schools to build on the success of Exeter Mathematics School and King’s College London Maths School.
• ·           A further £216 million of investment in school infrastructure to help rebuild and refurbish existing schools to ensure children are taught in facilities fit for the 21st century. This will build on existing plans to spend over £10 billion on the condition of schools over this Parliament.
• ·           The expansion of the current ‘extended rights’ entitlement for children who access free home-to-school travel to cover selective schools. This will help to ensure that children from disadvantaged backgrounds have every chance to access the best possible education and that the cost of transport is not a barrier. This expansion means that children on free school meals or whose parents claim the Maximum Working Tax Credit will now receive free transport to attend a selective school within two to 15 miles. 

With schools funding at its highest level on record, at over £40 billion this year, these commitments take the next steps on the significant progress being made to ensure that every child can access a high quality school place, whatever their background.

Almost 1.8 million more pupils are taught in good or outstanding schools than in 2010 and as a result of widespread reforms and the hard work of teachers, 89% of schools in England are now rated as good or outstanding – the highest proportion ever recorded.  

But the government recognises that more must be done, with over 1 million children at underperforming schools. Expanding the free schools programme is one part of the Prime Minister’s ambitious agenda to give parents a greater choice in finding a good school for their child, and these new announcements support the plans set out in the ‘Schools That Work For Everyone’ Green Paper, with a White Paper set to be published in the coming months.  

Prime Minister, Theresa May said:

“For too many children, a good school place remains out of reach with their options determined by where they live or how much money their parents have.

“Over the last six years we have overseen a revolution in our schools system and we have raised standards and opportunity, but there is much more to do.

“As part of our commitment to creating a school system that works for everyone, today we are confirming new investment to give parents a greater choice of a good school place for their child, and we will set out the next stage of our ambitions in the coming months.”

Chancellor Philip Hammond said:

“Investing in education and skills is the single most important thing that we can do to equip our children for the future. We are not starting from scratch; we have protected the core schools budget, which stands at over £40 billion this year, and these announcements take the next steps in giving parents greater choice in finding a good school for their child, whatever their background.”

 ENDS

Additional facts

• ·           The Government is giving more money to schools than ever before – reaching over £40billion this year (16-17). We have also protected the core schools budget in real terms. 
• ·           89% of schools in England are now rated as good or outstanding schools – the highest proportion ever recorded, with almost 1.8 million more pupils taught in good or outstanding schools than in 2010. 
• ·           So far, we have opened 431 free schools – 307 in the last Parliament and 124 in this parliament. A further 243 are currently in the process of being opened. The free schools already open will have created over 220,000 places once they have reached capacity. 
• ·           Of the 140 schools for which plans are announced today, 30 will open by September 2020 and count towards the Government’s existing commitment to open 500 free schools by September 2020; and the majority of the remaining 110 will open in the next Parliament. 

Free schools case studies:

• ·           Tauheedul Islam Boys’ High School, a free school in Blackburn, came 3rd out of all schools in England using the Progress 8 measure of attainment. Targets for the progress of every student are set deliberately high. There is a compulsory two-week summer school for targeted students and early signs of underachievement are tackled promptly and effectively.
• ·           Exeter Mathematics School is a free school for 16–19 year olds. The school is selective on the basis of aptitude for maths, and has provision for boarding to enable pupils from across the South West to attend. Students are mentored by Exeter University, and study for the university-set Exeter Mathematics Certificate. In August 2016, 79% of students achieved an A*- B at A-Level. Ofsted rated the school ‘outstanding’ in all areas in February 2017.
• ·           The London Academy of Excellence (LAE) is a 16-19 free school in Stratford, set up by Brighton College and supported by a number of other independent schools, including Eton College. It targets the brightest students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In 2016, the school reported that half of all A-Level grades were A*/A, and 86% were A*-B. More than 100 students secured places at Russell Group universities and six at Oxford and Cambridge.