A new report by Education Policy Institute (EPI) sets out a fresh approach to school funding that would target greater support towards persistently disadvantaged pupils. This group, who have been eligible for free school meals for 80 per cent or more of their time in school, are significantly behind their peers in educational attainment but … Continue reading Tackling the persistent disadvantage gap
Tag: Funding
Towards an Effective and Financially Sustainable Approach to SEND in England
A report on SEND commissioned by the County Councils Network and Local Government Association has been published by the ISOS Partnership. The key findings are that: More children and young people than ever before are being identified as having SEND; There are more children and young people than ever before whose needs are not being … Continue reading Towards an Effective and Financially Sustainable Approach to SEND in England
MPs told SEND system is in crisis
The f40 campaigning group, which represents the 40 or so worst educationally funded councils in England, recently held a meeting with more than 75 MPs and their representatives at a parliamentary briefing in Westminster. Also involved were the Local Government Association (LGA), and the County Councils Network (CCN). MPs were told that the number of … Continue reading MPs told SEND system is in crisis
Support for children and young people with special educational needs
A new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) finds that around 1.9 million children and young people aged 0 to 25 years in England (11%) were identified as having special educational needs (SEN) in January 2024, with 1.7 million at school. This won't come as a surprise to teachers. The report finds that "although … Continue reading Support for children and young people with special educational needs
Educational outcomes for SEND pupils have failed to improve over the last decade
A new report by Isos Partnership commissioned by the County Councils Network and the Local Government Association was released on 25 July. The study concludes that the current system is not working for families, schools and councils alike. The report is called Towards an effective and financially sustainable approach to SEND in England, and highhlights … Continue reading Educational outcomes for SEND pupils have failed to improve over the last decade
NGA School and Trust Annual Governance Survey 2024
The NGA has just published its latest (14th) School and Trust Annual Governance Survey. Highlight findings include: Funding Financial sustainability under threat Budget pressures intensify Falling pupil numbers Curriculum breadth at risk SEND funding crisis deepens Pupil, family and community needs SEND support demands surge Attendance is high priority Expanding school services Safeguarding issues growing … Continue reading NGA School and Trust Annual Governance Survey 2024
Issues for schools requiring RAAC buildings works
An atrticle from Schools Week highlights the continuing issues for schools in respect of keeping their buildings up to scratch. It highighhts the fact that some schools have had requests turned down by Ministers, and that the system is very unbalanced. You can read the article on their website, here.
Free breakfast clubs in schools
An article by the Institute for Fiscal Studies looks at the issue of school breakfast clubs and analyses Labour's promise to expand provision to all primary schools. Some of their conclusions are: breakfast clubs can be a cheap way to provide nutritional support to children; breakfast clubs have been shown to boost grades; breakfast clubs … Continue reading Free breakfast clubs in schools
The private schools debate is asking all the wrong questions
The Guardian's Eva Wiseman column observes that Private schools don’t put children first, they put everyone else last She goes on to argue that the key issue around this debate - which isn;t being mentioned - is that the children at state schools are suffering. She concludes by saying "I’m starting to feel ... increasingly … Continue reading The private schools debate is asking all the wrong questions
School spending in England: a guide to the debate during the 2024 general election
This new report by Luke Sibieta from The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) seeks to inform the debate on school funding during the 2024 general election by analysing past trends and likely future pressures. Key findings inlcude: Spending on English schools fell by c. 9% in real terms between 2010 and 2019, but increased spending … Continue reading School spending in England: a guide to the debate during the 2024 general election
CIF funding – is the allocation fair?
The Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) was put in place to help address significant condition needs to keep buildings safe and in good working order. This article in Schools Week suggests that the funding is allocated in favour of schools/trusts who can provide a bigger share of the cost themeselves, but DfE insists applicants ‘not prioritised’ … Continue reading CIF funding – is the allocation fair?
‘Nearly all’ schools rely on donations for classroom essentials
A new poll of its members by NAHT has found that only 1 per cent of school leaders say they get enough funding to meet all their pupils’ needs. A TES article notes that nearly all school leaders (95 per cent) in England have had to generate additional income through other sources - like charity … Continue reading ‘Nearly all’ schools rely on donations for classroom essentials
School funding model: Effect of falling school rolls
This sobering new report from the Education Policy Institute finds that: Total pupil numbers in state-funded primary and secondary schools are projected to fall from a peak of 7.57 million in 2022-23, and then decrease at an average rate of 1.0 per cent each year until they reach 7.14 million in 2028-29. This means that … Continue reading School funding model: Effect of falling school rolls
Financial distress in local authorities – impact on SEND
In its report "Financial distress in local authorities" published today (1st February 2024) the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee comments in detail on the current funding issues in local authorities. This includes a chapter on SEND, in which it notes: The amount of funding provided by the Department for Education has not kept pace … Continue reading Financial distress in local authorities – impact on SEND
Education: the fundamentals – Eleven facts about the education system in England
In December 2023 the Education Policy Institute published a report summarising the current status and some future trends for education in England. They identified eleven facts, as follows: Fact 1: England performs well against international comparators. Fact 2: Around 40 per cent of the disadvantage gap at age 16 is already evident by age 5 … Continue reading Education: the fundamentals – Eleven facts about the education system in England
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