Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what (a) financial and (b) other support her Department provides to schools that do not fill pupil spaces in (i) England and (ii) Kent.

School budgets in England are set using actual pupil numbers from the previous October school census. This lagged approach to funding provides certainty and stability, and means that schools have more lead-time to adjust their plans for any reduced levels of funding caused by falling pupil numbers. Both maintained schools and academies have a responsibility to set a balanced budget. Where schools experience financial difficulties the Department, in respect of academies, and the local authority, in respect of maintained schools, support them to produce a recovery plan. A local authority that wants to operate a falling rolls fund to support good or outstanding maintained schools and academies with falling pupil numbers where numbers will grow again within the next three years can retain funding for that purpose.