Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what financial support is available to help schools in (a) the North East and (b) Newcastle upon Tyne Central constituency with rising energy costs; and whether such support will be available after 1 April 2023.

A new energy scheme for businesses, charities, and the public sector was confirmed on 9 January 2023, ahead of the current Energy Bill Relief Scheme ending in March. The new scheme will mean all eligible UK businesses and other non-domestic energy users, including schools, will receive a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024. This is on top of the additional funding in core schools funding announced at the Autumn Statement.

Significant cash increases to school funding will help schools in Newcastle upon Tyne and across the North East to manage higher costs in 2022/23 and 2023/24. Nationally, core schools funding (including funding for both mainstream schools and high needs) is increasing by £4 billion in 2022/23, compared to the previous year. It will increase by a further £3.5 billion in 2023/24, following the additional funding for schools announced at the Autumn Statement. Together, that means an increase of over 15% in just two years.

Through the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) and the Schools Supplementary Grant for mainstream schools, the North East is receiving an extra £110.7 million this year, which is an increase of 6.6% per pupil (this per pupil funding increase excludes “growth” funding). This takes total funding in the North East for 2022/23 to over £1.9 billion. In 2023/24, the North East will be seeing an extra £121 million through the DSG and the Mainstream Schools Additional Grant (MSAG) combined, which will be an increase of 6.1% per pupil, taking funding in the region to over £2 billion.

Through the DSG and MSAG combined, this means Newcastle-upon-Tyne will be seeing an extra £15 million this year, which is an increase of 6.1% per pupil (this per pupil funding increase excludes “growth” funding). This takes total funding for 2023/24 in Newcastle Upon Tyne to over £222 million.