Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his policy is on increasing (a) overall school funding and (b) the minimum level of funding per pupil; and when those policies will be implemented.

On Friday 30 August the department announced an over £14 billion, 3 year settlement for primary and secondary schools.

This funding package builds on the government reforms which have seen education standards in England increase, with more primary school children on track to become fluent readers, more 19 year olds leaving education with English and mathematics GCSEs, and almost one million school places created.

This funding package builds on the reform agenda that we have pursued since 2010 which has driven better standards, rigour, discipline and outcomes for pupils in England.

This settlement includes cash increases of £2.6 billion for 2020-21, £4.8 billion for 2021-22 and £7.1 billion for 2022-23 compared with 2019-20. Part of this settlement includes over £700 million more for the special educational needs and disabilities budget in 2020-21 compared to this year, which is equivalent to an increase of over 11%.

In addition, the settlement also includes £1.5 billion in each of the next 3 years for teachers’ pensions. This is on top of the £14 billion overall increase.

The £14 billion means the department can ‘level up’ school funding by raising the minimum per pupil funding to all secondary schools to £5,000 next year, and the minimum per pupil funding for primary schools to £3,750 in 2020-21 and £4,000 in 2021-22.

This will bring the schools budget to £52.2 billion by 2022-3 and will deliver on my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister’s pledge to deliver the following:

• increase school funding by £4.6 billion a year above inflation;
• delivering minimum secondary school funding of £5,000 per pupil; and
• delivering minimum primary school funding of £4,000 per pupil by 2022-23.

In doing so, the government is giving all young people the same opportunities to succeed — regardless of where they grow up or go to school— and providing for a real terms increase in per pupil funding in all schools next year. The funding formula will ensure that all parts of the UK will receive significant funding uplifts.