Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to engage with head teachers who have expressed concerns with respect to reductions in school funding.

Ministers and officials from the Department regularly meet head teachers and representatives of head teachers, including the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), the primary head teacher reference group, and the secondary head teacher reference group. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education attended NAHT’s annual conference in May 2018, ASCL’s national conference in March 2018 and again last week. Department officials meet all the head teacher unions every month. School funding is frequently discussed as part of these meetings. Additionally, all education ministers regularly visit schools and spend time with head teachers and staff.

The Department recognises the pressures that parts of the school system are facing. The Government continues to invest in the school system, with school funding at a record high. The Department is also providing the sector with more than half a billion pounds to fund teacher pay increases. Alongside this, the Department will be putting a strong case to Her Majesty's Treasury for the next spending review.