Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if his Department will increase funding for schools and colleges in the context of rising inflation.

Schools and colleges will benefit from the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee, which commences on the 1 October 2022 and will be available until at least 31 March 2023. This will cap how much schools and colleges need to spend on their energy, giving greater certainty over their budgets over the winter months.

The Government is also providing schools with the largest cash boost in a decade. Following the 2021 Spending Review, core schools funding (including funding for both mainstream schools and high needs) will increase by £7 billion in 2024/25, compared to 2021/22. This includes a £4 billion increase in 2022/23 compared to the previous year which is a cash increase of 7% per pupil. A further £1.5 billion will be available in 2023/24.

The 2021 Spending Review has also made available an extra £1.6 billion for 16-19 education in the 2024/25 financial year, compared with financial year 2021/22.

The 2021 Spending Review announced a total of £19.4 billion of capital funding to support the education sector between 2022/23 and 2024/25. We are investing £6 billion in 2022/23, including £1.8 billion to help maintain and improve the condition of school buildings; over £700 million to create new places and improve facilities for children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision; and nearly £530 million for new mainstream school places. In addition, we have announced £750 million to create new places and improve facilities for children and young people with SEND or who require alternative provision for 2024; and £940 million to create new mainstream school places needed for 2024 and 2025.

We are investing £2.8 billion of capital funding in skills over the Spending Review period, including funding to improve the condition of the further education college estate. This investment also provides funding for specialist equipment and facilities for T Levels, capital funding for more places for 16-19 year olds, and for Institutes of Technology.

Every school’s circumstances are different, and where schools are in serious financial difficulty, they should contact their local authority or the Education and Skills Funding Agency. Support for colleges is available from the Further Education Commissioner and the Education and Skills Funding Agency.