Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much of the increase to the core schools budget for 2025-26 and 2026-27 is expected to be spent by schools in covering part of the (a) recent teacher pay rise and (b) National Insurance contribution increase.

The department is providing £1.4 billion to support schools with their increases to employer National Insurance contributions and staff pay awards in the 2025/26 financial year. Following the spring Spending Review, this level of funding will continue, and we announced additional funding that will take core school budgets to £65.9 billion by the 2028/29 financial year. Schools have autonomy over how they use their core funding to best meet their priorities, including any decisions on staffing.

More information on core funding allocations for 2026/27 will be announced in the autumn, as part of the usual national funding formulae process. Costs such as pay for future years are currently uncertain and subject to the outcomes of separate pay processes.