Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons funding that was previously directed to support specific additional needs is now to be directed towards minimum levels of per pupil funding.

The national funding formula protects the £5.9 billion total for funding directed towards additional needs, as proposed in our consultation. It distributes that funding in line with the best available evidence: using a broad measure of deprivation to include all those who are likely to need extra help; and increasing the proportion of additional needs spending allocated on the basis of low prior attainment, to give additional support to those who need help to catch up.

We heard throughout the consultation that we could do more through our formula to support those schools that attract the lowest levels of per pupil funding. We have listened carefully, and with the additional investment of £1.3 billion, have decided that it is appropriate both to raise the basic amount that each pupil attracts, and to target additional funding to the lowest funded. We believe that this will help ensure that every school has the resources it needs to provide appropriate support to all of its pupils. None of this additional funding has been found by reducing funding directed towards additional needs.