Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the new national funding formula on schools in rural areas.

Schools in districts identified as rural by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs would gain on average 3.9%. Of these, remote schools that attract additional funding through the sparsity factor will gain on average 5.0%, which ensures that the higher costs of these schools are recognised.

These figures are calculated as if the national funding formula had been implemented in full in 2017-18, with no transitional arrangements.