Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the equitability of the current national funding formula for the Dedicated Schools Grant, in light of disparities in per-pupil funding between local authorities.

The schools national funding formula (NFF) distributes funding for mainstream schools based on schools’ and pupils’ characteristics.

The purpose of the schools NFF is not to give every school, or local authority area, the same level of per-pupil funding. It is right that schools with lots of pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation or low prior attainment, attract extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils.

The formula also includes an area cost adjustment to reflect differences in labour market costs across the country. Staffing costs usually make up 70% to 80% of school expenditure, so it is important that schools’ funding takes into account that these costs vary.