Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of high energy prices on school budgets.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government is prioritising further funding for schools. The Autumn Statement has provided an additional increase in the core schools’ budget of £2.3 billion in both 2023/24 and 2024/25. After adjusting 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 in the 2021 Spending Review. Schools' funding is already £4 billion higher this year than last year, and this additional funding means it will rise by another £3.5 billion next year. Taken together, that means a 15% increase in funding in two years. This should help schools to tackle the inflationary pressures that they are facing.
Schools have also received significant support from the Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which will run until April 2023. An HM Treasury led review of the Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) will determine support for non-domestic consumers in the UK from 1 April 2023, with results to be published by the end of 2022. Schools will continue to receive the EBRS until 31 March 2023.
The Department knows that each 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.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to increase funding for schools in Sefton Central constituency.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government is prioritising further funding for schools. The 2022 Autumn Statement has provided an additional increase in the core schools’ budget, including £2.3 billion in funding for both mainstream schools and high needs in 2023/24 and 2024/25. After adjusting to take account of 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 billion greater than published in the 2021 Spending Review.
The Department will set out plans for allocation of the additional funding provided by the Autumn Statement, including plans for funding in Sefton Council, in due course.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.41 of the Autumn Statement, CP 751 published on 17 November 2022, if he will publish the core schools budget figures after their adjustment to account for the removal of the compensation for employer costs of the Health and Social Care Levy.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Overall core schools funding will increase by £2.3 billion in both 2023-24 and 2024-25. After adjusting Spending Review 2021 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 £57.3bn in 2023-24 and £58.8 billion in 2024-25.
£bn | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
Spending Review 2021 Core Schools Budget | 53.8 | 55.3 | 56.8 |
Spending Review 2021 Budget With Health and Social Care Levy Funding Removed | 53.8 | 55.0 | 56.5 |
Additional Autumn Statement 2022 Funding | 0 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Autumn Statement 2022 Core Schools Budget | 53.8 | 57.3 | 58.8 |
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.41 of the Autumn Statement 2022, published on 17 November 2022, if he will publish the methodology by which the core schools budget in England will receive an additional £2.3 billion of funding in 2023-24 and in 2024-25 and how that equates with the figures for schools published in table 2.1, after an adjustment is made for the removal of compensation for employer costs of the Health and Social Care Levy.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Overall core schools funding will increase by £2.3 billion in both 2023-24 and 2024-25. After adjusting Spending Review 2021 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 £57.3bn in 2023-24 and £58.8 billion in 2024-25.
£bn | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
Spending Review 2021 Core Schools Budget | 53.8 | 55.3 | 56.8 |
Spending Review 2021 Budget With Health and Social Care Levy Funding Removed | 53.8 | 55.0 | 56.5 |
Additional Autumn Statement 2022 Funding | 0 | +2.3 | +2.3 |
Autumn Statement 2022 Core Schools Budget | 53.8 | 57.3 | 58.8 |
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the impact of inflation on the affordability of (a) the staff payroll and (b) other aspects of school budgets.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government is prioritising further funding for schools, which will help schools to manage aspects of their budgets, including staff payroll. The 2022 Autumn Statement has provided an additional increase in the core schools budget of £2.3 billion in both 2023/24 and 2024/25. After adjusting Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 (SR21) budgets down to take account of 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 billion greater than published at SR21.
Schools' funding is £4 billion higher this year than last year. The funding announced in the 2022 Autumn Statement means it will rise by another £3.5 billion next year. This means a 15% increase in funding within two years. This significant increase in funding will help schools to meet increased pay awards for both teaching and non-teaching staff, wider inflationary costs such as energy costs, and enable schools to meet their White Paper commitments.
The Department knows that each school’s circumstances are different. If 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.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reasons her Department has not implemented a national pay system for teaching assistants.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government knows the valuable contribution teaching assistants make to pupils’ education, helping to raise attainment and reduce teachers’ workload.
Schools have the freedom to set pay for teaching assistants and all support staff. All schools have different characteristics and should make decisions that meet their needs. Many mirror local government pay scales, which are agreed between the National Joint Council and trade unions. Support staff in schools that follow these pay scales will receive a pay rise of 10% on average, which will be backdated to April 2022.
The 2022 Autumn Statement underlines the priority the Government attaches to schools, delivering a significant uplift in funding in this Spending Review period. Core schools funding will increase by £2.3 billion in both the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years.
After adjusting the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 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 the 2024/25 financial year, £2 billion more than published in 2021.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a national (a) pay scale and (b) process for the negotiation of pay awards for teaching assistants.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government knows the valuable contribution teaching assistants make to pupils’ education, helping to raise attainment and reduce teachers’ workload.
Schools have the freedom to set pay for teaching assistants and all support staff. All schools have different characteristics and should make decisions that meet their needs. Many mirror local government pay scales, which are agreed between the National Joint Council and trade unions. Support staff in schools that follow these pay scales will receive a pay rise of 10% on average, which will be backdated to April 2022.
The 2022 Autumn Statement underlines the priority the Government attaches to schools, delivering a significant uplift in funding in this Spending Review period. Core schools funding will increase by £2.3 billion in both the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years.
After adjusting the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 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 the 2024/25 financial year, £2 billion more than published in 2021.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has taken recent steps to help ensure that (a) teaching assistants and (b) support staff in schools are paid at a level which aids the (i) recruitment and (ii) retention of those staff.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government knows the valuable contribution teaching assistants make to pupils’ education, helping to raise attainment and reduce teachers’ workload.
Schools have the freedom to set pay for teaching assistants and all support staff. All schools have different characteristics and should make decisions that meet their needs. Many mirror local government pay scales, which are agreed between the National Joint Council and trade unions. Support staff in schools that follow these pay scales will receive a pay rise of 10% on average, which will be backdated to April 2022.
The 2022 Autumn Statement underlines the priority the Government attaches to schools, delivering a significant uplift in funding in this Spending Review period. Core schools funding will increase by £2.3 billion in both the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years.
After adjusting the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021 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 the 2024/25 financial year, £2 billion more than published in 2021.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
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.
Answered by Nick Gibb
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.
Asked by: David Morris (Conservative - Morecambe and Lunesdale)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to provide additional financial support to schools in 2023-24 to help meet demands as a result of (a) pay increases for teaching staff agreed in July 2022, (b) rising inflation and (c) the introduction of a minimum expectation for the length of the school week by September 2023.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government is prioritising further funding for schools. The 2022 Autumn Statement has provided an additional increase in the core schools budget, including funding for both mainstream schools and high needs, of £2.3 billion in both 2023/24 and 2024/25. After adjusting to take account of 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 billion greater than published at the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021.
Schools' funding is £4 billion higher this year than last year. It will rise by another £3.5 billion, on top of that, next year. This means a 15% increase in funding in two years. This significant increase in funding will help schools to meet increased pay awards for both teaching and non-teaching staff, wider inflationary costs such as energy costs, and enable schools to meet their White Paper commitments, including the minimum 32.5-hour school week.
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 knows that every school’s circumstances are different. If schools are in serious financial difficulty, the Department encourages them to contact their Local Authority or the Education and Skills Funding Agency, who can provide advice and, in exceptional circumstances, financial support.