Today’s news review looks at an announcement on school funding from the Secretary of State.
On Monday 17 July, the Secretary of State announced an additional £1.3billion of funding for schools in the House of Commons. The £1.3 billion - £416 million in 2018-19 and £884 million in 2019-20 - is on top of the core school budget set in the last spending review. It means school funding will be £2.6 billion higher in 2019-20 compared to 2017-18.
This announcement was covered widely in the media with a number of headteachers and education experts welcoming the move.
Dame Rachel De Souza, CEO of the Inspiration Trust, said she was “delighted the Government has stuck its resolve to end the unfairness of the current school funding arrangements, and has been able to reallocate money to ensure that pupil funding is protected” while Sam Freedman, executive director of Teach First called the news “really positive”.
In its leader column, the Sun called the measure a “double dose of good news” and “fiscal sanity”.
This additional funding will further build on the improved standards delivered since 2010 with 1.8 million more children in good or outstanding schools, nine out of 10 schools are now good or outstanding and the attainment gap beginning to close.
Education Secretary Justine Greening said:
Fairer schools funding – backed by today’s additional investment – will deliver the biggest improvement to the school funding system for well over a decade. It will mean an increase in the basic amount that every pupil will get, protected funding for those with high needs and will ensure every local authority is in a position to give schools a cash increase through the new formula.
This means that, with teachers and schools across the country, we can continue to raise standards and give every child the best possible education, and the best opportunities for the future.
Please read more about our announcement here.