Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help reduce inequalities in Dedicated Schools Grant funding.

The core schools budget is increasing by £1.7 billion in the 2026/27 financial year. This includes funding that will enable us to reform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system as announced within the Schools White Paper.

The department uses the schools national funding formula (NFF) to distribute core funding for five to 16-year-old pupils) in mainstream state-funded schools in England.

The purpose of the NFF is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding. It is right that schools with lots of pupils with additional needs, such as those indicated by measures of deprivation, low prior attainment, or English as an additional language, receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils.

The government will be reviewing the operation of the schools NFF for the 2027/28 financial year and future years. The department will take the time needed to consider changes to various funding formulae going forward, ensuring that we get any changes right and recognising the importance of establishing a fair funding system that directs funding where it is needed.