Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to her oral statement of 14 September 2017 on school: national funding formula, what the evidential basis is for defining schools as underfunded.

We have considered carefully all the responses to the consultation. The final formula we have now announced is the result of that process. A summary of the responses to the consultation, and how they have been taken into account in the final formula, is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/schools-national-funding-formula-stage-2.

The importance of ensuring stability for all schools was a consistent message through the consultation. As a consequence, we are ensuring that all schools, and all areas, will attract additional funding over the next two years, while providing for up to 6% gains, per pupil, for underfunded schools by 2019-20 – and more for some of the lowest funded. We believe that this balance of fairness and stability is the best way to distribute funding to local authorities for their most vulnerable children and young people.