Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the level of funding for state secondary schools.

The overall core schools budget is increasing by £3.7 billion in 2025/26, meaning that it will total £65.3 billion, compared to £61.6 billion in 2024/25. This is a 6% overall increase which, against the backdrop of a challenging fiscal picture, demonstrates the government’s commitment to enabling every child to achieve and thrive through delivery of the Opportunity Mission.

Secondary pupils are attracting £7,316 per pupil on average through the dedicated schools grant in 2025/26. The additional funding to support schools and high needs settings with staff pay awards announced on 22 May, as well as funding in respect of the increases to National Insurance contributions, will be paid on top of that.