Constituents have contacted me about school funding and while I note the concerns raised by the National Education Union, I disagree with their characterisation of Government funding for schools. More money than ever before is being invested in schools, ensuring every child gets a world-class education. In 2024-25, the total core schools budget will be at its highest-ever level, in both real terms and in real terms per pupil. This budget will total £59.6 billion in 2024-25, an increase of £1.8 billion from this year and on top of the £3.9 billion rise in 2023-24.
Mainstream schools in England will receive an average of around £6,000 for each pupil from next year through the National Funding Formula, with additional funding for teacher pay on top of that. Overall, funding will be at its highest-ever level in real terms per pupil in 2024-25, as measured by the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies, underlining the Government’s commitment to education.
This money can be spent on staff salaries, school trips and classroom equipment which will raise school standards and educational outcomes. These increases form part of the additional £9.8 billion being invested in the schools core budget by 2024-25, compared to 2021-22.
Furthermore, teachers in England received the highest pay award for 30 years (6.5 per cent), after the Government accepted in full the recommendations set out by the independent pay review body. In doing so, the Government has met its manifesto commitment to raise the minimum starting salary for teachers to £30,000 from September 2023. This deal has ensured teachers and school leaders called off strike action.
The Department for Education is also committed to a long-term School Rebuilding Programme, renovating 500 schools in England over the next decade. In December 2022, the Government announced that a further 239 schools and sixth form colleges have been provisionally selected for the School Rebuilding Programme, which means that in total 400 schools have benefitted to date. The Government has allocated over £13 billion since 2015 to maintain and improve school facilities across England, including £1.8 billion for the 2022-23 financial year, and an additional £500 million in capital funding to schools and colleges this financial year for energy efficiency upgrades.
The Primary PE and Sport Premium will continue for academic years 2023/24 and 2024/25 with a total of over £600 million of funding across the two years provided by the Department for Education and the Department for Health and Social Care. It is provided to all primary schools in England, with an average of £18,000 per school. Schools must use the funding to make additional and sustainable improvements to the quality of PE and sport they provide, with eligible spending including teacher training, providing a wider range of sports to pupils and top-up swimming lessons. Schools will receive updated guidance this summer setting out how schools should be using the funding to the best advantage of their pupils. A new digital tool will also be introduced for schools to report on spending of their allocation of the PE and Sport Premium.
An additional £11 million per year to fund School Games Organisers is being made available for a further two academic years until 2025, provided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department of Health and Social Care. This national network of 450 School Games Organisers works directly with local schools to coordinate inclusive sport competitions across 40 different sports and activities.
The Department for Education is funding up to £57 million to deliver phase three of the Opening School Facilities programme which allows schools to open their sport facilities outside of the core school day, in weekends and holidays. The programme is being delivered by consortium partners Active Partnerships, ukactive, Youth Sport Trust and StreetGames. Up to 1350 schools across England will be targeted where the funding will have the most positive impact in their communities including for girls, disadvantaged children, those with special educational needs and disabilities and other groups who have lower participation levels in sport.
Fiona Bruce MP – 28th February 2024
