The petition of residents of the constituency of Colchester in Essex,
Declares that more money should be allocated to schools and colleges to ensure that every child in Colchester receives the education they deserve; notes that whilst Education funding has increased, the cost pressures on schools and colleges have increased at a faster rate and schools and colleges hare having to take difficult decisions that will impact on the education they are able to provide; further notes that schools need certainty of funding in order to set three year budgets.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to: allocate more money to schools and colleges; provide schools and colleges with at least a three year funding settlement to provide certainty.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Will Quince, Official Report, 22 July 2019; Vol. 663, c. 5P.]
[P002501]
Observations from the Minister for School Standards (Nick Gibb):
We have just announced an investment of over £14 billion for primary and secondary schools between now and 2022-23. This funding package for schools includes cash increases of £2.6 billion for 2020-21, £4.8 billion for 2021-22, and £7.1 billion for 2022-23, compared with 2019-20.
In addition, we will provide a further £1.5 billion each year to cover the cost of increased employer contributions to the teachers’ pension scheme.
This will bring the schools budget to £52.2 billion in 2022-23, and delivers on the Prime Minister’s pledge when entering Downing Street to increase school funding by £4.6 billion above inflation, levelling up education funding and giving all young people the same opportunities to succeed, regardless of where they grow up or go to school.
As part of this announcement, every secondary school will attract a minimum of £5,000 per pupil next year, with every primary school attracting a minimum of £4,000 per pupil from 2021-22.
This new money will continue to be allocated via the national funding formula (NFF) which means that school funding is distributed to local authorities based on the individual needs and characteristics of every school in the country. This directs resources where they are needed most, providing transparency and predictability for schools, and addressing historic disparities between areas.
The announcement also includes over £700 million extra for children with special educational needs and disabilities in 2020-21, so every pupil can access the education that is right for them.
Schools will also continue to benefit from Government support to ensure they can make the most of every pound of their budgets, following the launch of the Department for Education’s school resource management strategy last year.
This strategy provides schools with practical advice on savings that can be made on the more than £10 billion non-staffing spend spent across England last year e.g. direct money-saving deals which help schools save on the resources they buy regularly, from photocopiers and energy to catering and books, and a supply teacher framework.