Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the findings of the National Association of Head Teachers published on 8 November 2022 that over four in ten schools said they would have to reduce spending on additional targeted interventions for pupils requiring additional support.

The Department is prioritising further funding for schools. The Autumn Statement has provided an additional increase in the core schools budget, including funding for mainstream and high needs schools, of £2.3 billion in 2023/24 and 2024/25. After adjusting Spending Review 2021 (SR21) budgets down to account for the removal of the compensation for employer costs of the Health and Social Care Levy, this brings the core schools budget to a total of £58.8 billion in 2024/25, £2.0 billion greater than published at SR21.

Schools' funding is £4 billion higher this year than last year, and this means that next year it will rise by a further £3.5 billion. With these funding increases combined, it will mean a 15% increase in funding within two years. This significant increase in funding will help schools meet increased pay awards for both teaching and non-teaching staff, wider inflationary costs such as energy costs, and also enable schools to meet their White Paper commitments.

These increases will deliver significant additional support to pupils and teachers, helping to deliver on the Government’s commitment to level-up education across the country.

The Department recognises that every school’s circumstances are different, and where schools are in serious financial difficulty, they are encouraged to contact their local authority or the Education and Skills Funding Agency, who can provide advice and, in exceptional circumstances, financial support.