Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2024 to Question 17084 on Schools: Per Capita Costs, if she will provide these figures adjusted for inflation by the (a) retail price index and (b) consumer price index.

The GDP deflator is the standard measure of inflation for public spending and is an appropriate measure for school costs. Therefore, the department does not produce estimates for the real terms increases in spending per pupil using the Consumer Price Index or the Retail Price Index.

In the new year, the department will publish the School Cost Technical Note, which will provide an overall assessment for the balance between schools funding and costs in the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years.