Recommendations & Conclusions
29 items
2
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
DfE continues to improve its evidence base for what works, but the rationale for certain funding decisions, in particular increasing core funding, does not always follow the evidence. The Department has assessed its evidence base for pupil premium effectively supporting the attainment of disadvantaged children as relatively strong compared to …
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DfE continues to improve its evidence base for what works, but the rationale for certain funding decisions, in particular increasing core funding, does not always follow the evidence. The Department has assessed its evidence base for pupil premium effectively supporting the attainment of disadvantaged children as relatively strong compared to 3 other interventions. However, over the period 2018–19 to 2023–24 this funding has not risen in line with inflation, decreasing by 3% in real terms with a 9% real–terms reduction in per–pupil funding. By contrast, evidence is less strong on the impact of the disadvantage and deprivation related funding provided through the National Funding Formula (the core funding)– but the Department has increased it by 10% in real terms over the same period. The Department ‘s rationale for these decisions is not clear. The Department accepts it needs to develop its evidence base for interventions beyond pupil premium, to help support its decisions on where to target funding to best effect. recommendation Whilst continuing to build an understanding of what works, DfE should re–assess the evidence base for funding decisions and, as part of this, set out its funding priorities for 2025–26, including where pupil premium falls within this.
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Government response AI summary
The government committed to reviewing the operation of additional-needs factors within the National Funding Formula, including their evidence base and interaction with pupil premium, to inform funding decisions for 2026-27 and beyond. It noted that 2025-26 funding rates have already been published.
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HM Treasury
3
Recommendation
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
Early Years funding and support remains critical for disadvantaged children to have the best start in life; it will be essential that DfE builds its evidence of what works. The value of intervening as early as possible in a child’s life is well recognised, but the Department has not reflected …
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Early Years funding and support remains critical for disadvantaged children to have the best start in life; it will be essential that DfE builds its evidence of what works. The value of intervening as early as possible in a child’s life is well recognised, but the Department has not reflected this in its funding even after increasing Early Years Pupil Premium by 45% for 2025–26. Previously, in 2024–25 the maximum early years pupil premium for a 3–or 4–year–old was £388, compared to £1,480 for primary school child, with the Department unable to provide a clear rationale for these differences. The Department recognises it needs to continue revisiting funding and stressed the value of evidence in doing so. However, it can take a long time to generate evidence of the longer–term impact of early years interventions. For example, the best evidence for the impact of Sure Start Centres, on later academic attainment has only recently been published. The Department will need to think about how it will collect evidence on the impact of Family Hubs support for families in disadvantaged areas, including in the early years, although they have not been in place long. recommendation The Department should prioritise expanding its evidence base on the effectiveness of early years interventions, including the role of Family Hubs, and in 12 months update the Committee on the impact of its decisions to increase Early Years Pupil Premium in 2025–26. In doing so, it should set out how its approach to developing evidence and then making funding decisions will align going forwards. 4
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Government response AI summary
The government committed to expanding the evidence base by commissioning an independent evaluation with the EEF to monitor the impact of the 45% Early Years Pupil Premium uplift. It also outlined ongoing evaluations for Family Hubs and support for effective EYPP spending by local authorities.
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HM Treasury
4
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
The Department relies on schools to spend funding in line with its intended purposes but has limited understanding of whether they do so. The Department’s policy is to allow schools and early years providers flexibility to use funding according to their local context. As such, more than 90% of the …
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The Department relies on schools to spend funding in line with its intended purposes but has limited understanding of whether they do so. The Department’s policy is to allow schools and early years providers flexibility to use funding according to their local context. As such, more than 90% of the estimated £9.2 billion funding associated with disadvantage is not “ringfenced”, meaning schools can choose how they spend it. However, this also means the Department does not have a good understanding of how schools spend funding and therefore how effectively it supports the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. There is a risk that disadvantaged children may not be benefitting, with 47% of school leaders surveyed by Sutton Trust in 2024 using pupil premium to plug wider budget gaps, up from 23% in 2019. The Department does not have a systematic way to understand how pupil premium is spent, with only 80% of schools sampled in 2023 meeting the requirement to publish 2022–23 strategies setting out how they plan to use funding to improve disadvantaged children’s attainment. Also, the Department is not collecting information on whether schools are providing tutoring, now the National Tutoring Programme has ended. recommendation Whilst retaining the principle of local decision–making, the Department should introduce stronger and clearer mechanisms to understand how schools spend funding. This should include: • collecting data on where schools use disadvantaged–focused funding, including for certain interventions such as tutoring; and • reiterating the need for schools to publish up–to–date strategies for how they plan to spend pupil premium and following up non– compliance.
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Government response AI summary
The government committed to exploring new digital solutions for collecting pupil premium spending data by 2027-28, with interim automation from 2025-26, and is collecting tutoring data via the school census. It also detailed existing mechanisms for monitoring schools' compliance with publishing pupil premium strategies and …
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HM Treasury
5
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Acknowledged
The Department supports schools in making effective local decisions, but there remains variability in practice, performance and how schools use evidence. The Department provides support to schools and other providers to help them effectively target their funding for disadvantaged children. This support includes a menu of evidence–based approaches for Pupil …
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The Department supports schools in making effective local decisions, but there remains variability in practice, performance and how schools use evidence. The Department provides support to schools and other providers to help them effectively target their funding for disadvantaged children. This support includes a menu of evidence–based approaches for Pupil Premium, and guidance signposting the work of the Education Endowment Foundation. The Department recognises there are differences in how schools consider available evidence, and then the approaches they take to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children. It feels that schools make good use of this but also accepts it must develop the evidence base for interventions beyond pupil premium. With only 70% of school leaders saying they use Education Endowment Foundation evidence to 5 develop plans for spending pupil premium, there is clearly huge scope for improvement, and the Department acknowledges that this figure should be closer to 100%. recommendation The Department should provide greater clarity on how it supports schools, early years providers, local authorities and academy trusts to make effective evidence–based decisions. This should include setting out how it will capture and share good practice and monitor differences.
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Government response AI summary
The government outlined its existing support for evidence-based decisions through the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and its promotion of EEF evidence. It committed to continuing to monitor how schools use evidence and working with the EEF to consider how to improve schools' capability in using …
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HM Treasury
6
Recommendation
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
The Department is relying on the ‘Opportunities Mission’ to bring together its own, and wider government’s, work to support disadvantaged children but it remains unclear how this will work in practice. The Department must work with other areas of government to support disadvantaged children, such as with the Department for …
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The Department is relying on the ‘Opportunities Mission’ to bring together its own, and wider government’s, work to support disadvantaged children but it remains unclear how this will work in practice. The Department must work with other areas of government to support disadvantaged children, such as with the Department for Work and Pensions as part of the Child Poverty Task Force. However, cross–government working has previously been challenging, in part because other parts of government may not place as high a priority on disadvantage as the Department. The Department is developing its strategy for narrowing the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers around the government’s mission “Breaking down the barriers to opportunity”, which also provides a chance to revisit how it works with others across government, particularly though shared data which is where the Department sees most scope for improvement. The Government’s Plan for Change, setting out details of its missions, was published in December 2024, meaning it is still too early to see any changes to ways of working. recommendation The Department should set out how it will use the opportunities mission to further join–up data and performance information, and embed the cultural changes needed for effective cross–government working. 6 1 Understanding of progress, impact and decision–making Introduction
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and is working to improve and join-up cross-government data from DWP, HMRC, and ONS, bringing metrics into a single source. Key departments are being integrated into the Mission's governance, and multi-disciplinary teams are forming to support innovation and delivery.
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HM Treasury
1
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Department for Education (the Department) on improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged children in England.2
Government response AI summary
The government disagrees with the recommendation (which was a conclusion) and outlines its existing extensive monitoring of disadvantaged children's educational outcomes through various published and internal data measures. It emphasizes its ongoing focus on narrowing the disadvantage gap via the Opportunity Mission.
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HM Treasury
7
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Rejected
The Department told us that, compared to other countries, England performs relatively well in terms of disadvantaged children’s attainment.13 The OECD recently cited the UK as one of 10 highly equitable countries, meaning that the difference in maths, science and reading results that could be explained by socioeconomic status was …
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The Department told us that, compared to other countries, England performs relatively well in terms of disadvantaged children’s attainment.13 The OECD recently cited the UK as one of 10 highly equitable countries, meaning that the difference in maths, science and reading results that could be explained by socioeconomic status was lower than the OECD average.14 It also found that the UK had above average proportions of “academically resilient” pupils, who were among the best academic performers but in the bottom quartile for socioeconomic background.15 The Department stressed that, while recognising this success, it must not become complacent. It described aiming to close the significant gap between children of different backgrounds and continuing to aspire for high standards for every child, although this was ambitious, and no other country had achieved this aim.16
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Government response AI summary
The government disagrees with the Committee's conclusion, stating that the Department for Education strongly agrees too many children are held back by their background, and reiterates its commitment to the Opportunity Mission.
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HM Treasury
8
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Rejected
The Department compares the attainment of disadvantaged pupils against their peers nationally through the disadvantage gap index, its main measure of progress.17 The Department explained that its most recent data shows this gap narrowed marginally in the last two years for children leaving primary school at key stage 2 (from …
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The Department compares the attainment of disadvantaged pupils against their peers nationally through the disadvantage gap index, its main measure of progress.17 The Department explained that its most recent data shows this gap narrowed marginally in the last two years for children leaving primary school at key stage 2 (from 3.23 in 2021/22 to 3.13 in 2023/24) and in the last year for those leaving secondary at key stage 4 (3.94 in 2022/23 to 3.92 in 2023/24). This is starting to reverse the significant widening of the gap seen during the COVID–19 pandemic.18 The Department sees the recent narrowing as a success but acknowledges that the gap is not closing as quickly as it would like, with some way to go to return to the pre–pandemic position.19 However, the Department has not set out the specific progress it wants to make and by when. The Department acknowledged that the index can be difficult to understand, but considered this the best measure as, being relative, it was resilient to changes in testing methods, standards, and pupil numbers.20 It also acknowledged that the index did not help understand 12 Q 5 13 Q 11 14 OECD, PISA 2022 Results: The State of Learning and Equity in Education, 5 December 2023 15 Q 11 16 Q 20 17 C&AG’s Report, para 3, 10. 18 Q5 19 Qq 5, 6 20 C&AG’s Report, para 11; Qq 8 and 10 9 performance variation across disadvantaged children, for example by local area, ethnicity or gender.21 The National Foundation of Educational Research identified that it is increasingly difficult to tell whether trends were driven by improving attainment or wider factors, with changes to the eligibility of free school meals impacting the numbers assessed as disadvantaged.22
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Government response AI summary
The government disagrees with the Committee's conclusion, stating that the Department for Education strongly agrees too many children are held back by their background, and reiterates its commitment to the Opportunity Mission.
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HM Treasury
9
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Rejected
Registration for free school meals is not automatic and some low– income pupils will be missed due to eligibility criteria. This means it is imperfect as a measure of disadvantage. The Department stressed the importance of using wider measures beyond the disadvantage gap index to understand performance. This included considering …
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Registration for free school meals is not automatic and some low– income pupils will be missed due to eligibility criteria. This means it is imperfect as a measure of disadvantage. The Department stressed the importance of using wider measures beyond the disadvantage gap index to understand performance. This included considering the proportions of students achieving certain levels across subjects and understanding local differences by bringing together various metrics and school–level data.23 The Department also agreed it should consider wider outcomes such as progression into work and wellbeing, alongside academic attainment. It recognises it is not performing as strongly across these areas internationally.24 The Department has more limited data and analysis on wider outcomes for disadvantaged children.25 It does not routinely bring measures together to understand and monitor the impacts of interventions and tailor its approach.26 The basis for funding decisions
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Government response AI summary
The government disagrees with the Committee's conclusion, stating that the Department for Education strongly agrees too many children are held back by their background, and reiterates its commitment to the Opportunity Mission.
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HM Treasury
10
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Deferred
The Department considers it has better evidence of pupil premium effectively supporting disadvantaged children, assessing this evidence as strong, compared to that available for the disadvantage and deprivation elements of the national funding formula.27 Despite this, there has been a 3% real–terms reduction in pupil premium funding over the period …
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The Department considers it has better evidence of pupil premium effectively supporting disadvantaged children, assessing this evidence as strong, compared to that available for the disadvantage and deprivation elements of the national funding formula.27 Despite this, there has been a 3% real–terms reduction in pupil premium funding over the period 2018– 19 to 2023–24, with per–pupil funding falling by 9%.28 The Department confirmed that pupil premium funding had not kept up with inflation.29 Over the same timeframe, disadvantage and deprivation funding within the national funding formula increased by 10% in real terms, despite the evidence for effectiveness of pupil premium funding being stronger than 21 Qq 8, 9 22 IEDO0020 23 Qq 8, 9 24 Q 12 25 C&AG’s Report, para 2.7 26 C&AG’s Report, para 10, para 2.7 27 C&AG’s Report, para 12 28 Q 25; C&AG’s Report, para 13, para 2.14 29 Q 25 10 it is for funding provided through national funding formula.30 In 2023–24 the Department spent £2.8 billion on pupil premium, and £4.1 billion on the disadvantage and deprivation elements of the National Funding Formula.31
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Government response AI summary
The department is reviewing the allocation of core funding for schools, looking at the operation of the schools national funding formula (NFF), including the operation of “additional needs” funding in the NFF, with decisions for 2026-27 onwards informed by this review.
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HM Treasury
11
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Deferred
The Department committed to keeping the balance of funding across different interventions under review.32 It told us that pupil premium and the disadvantage elements of the national funding formula should be considered together–with pupil premium being specifically directed towards disadvantaged children, and the funding formula using disadvantage as a proxy …
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The Department committed to keeping the balance of funding across different interventions under review.32 It told us that pupil premium and the disadvantage elements of the national funding formula should be considered together–with pupil premium being specifically directed towards disadvantaged children, and the funding formula using disadvantage as a proxy for wider need.33 The Department explained that the rising incidence and complexity of special educational needs contributed to its decision to increase the disadvantage and deprivation elements of the funding formula given a significant overlap between special educational need and disadvantage.34
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Government response AI summary
The department is reviewing the allocation of core funding for schools, looking at the operation of the schools national funding formula (NFF), including the operation of “additional needs” funding in the NFF, with decisions for 2026-27 onwards informed by this review.
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HM Treasury
12
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Deferred
The Department stressed that, without an unlimited budget, it would always need to make trade–offs in its funding decisions.35 It told us it is firstly aiming to increase the proportion of funding targeted towards disadvantage, as it believes this has a greater marginal impact on outcomes for disadvantaged children.36 Secondly, …
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The Department stressed that, without an unlimited budget, it would always need to make trade–offs in its funding decisions.35 It told us it is firstly aiming to increase the proportion of funding targeted towards disadvantage, as it believes this has a greater marginal impact on outcomes for disadvantaged children.36 Secondly, it planned to direct more funding towards the early years.37 The Department also described considering outcomes beyond academic attainment in its funding decisions, as illustrated through a decision to invest an additional £30 million in school breakfast clubs, following EEF finding that providing breakfast for five to seven year olds led to two months or more progress in maths, reading and behaviour, and wider attendance and behaviour benefits.38
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Government response AI summary
The department is reviewing the allocation of core funding for schools, looking at the operation of the schools national funding formula (NFF), including the operation of “additional needs” funding in the NFF, with decisions for 2026-27 onwards informed by this review.
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HM Treasury
13
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
While the Department is confident in its evidence base for pupil premium it recognised the need to continue building evidence in other areas, for example early years, and on wider outcomes beyond academic attainment such as attendance and home learning.39 The Department said it was keen to have more of …
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While the Department is confident in its evidence base for pupil premium it recognised the need to continue building evidence in other areas, for example early years, and on wider outcomes beyond academic attainment such as attendance and home learning.39 The Department said it was keen to have more of an evidence–based approach to how it thinks about schools policy more widely.40 The Department outlined plans to widen its evidence base further through, for example, working with a wider range of What Works Centres as part of the Opportunities Mission and its plans to 30 Q 25; C&AG’s Report, para 13 31 C&AG’s Report, para 13 32 Q 26 33 Q 25 34 Q 25 35 Q 33 36 Qq 26, 32 37 Q 32 38 Q 22 39 Qq 28, 36 40 Q 37 11 consult experts on how gaps in the existing evidence base on areas such as attendance and home learning can be filled.41 The Department also plans to publish areas of research interest. Investing in early years support
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and will continue to evaluate the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, has uplifted the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) and published guidance, and will work with EEF to monitor the impact of the EYPP uplift with an independent evaluation.
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HM Treasury
14
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
Research shows the value of early years provision in supporting the attainment of disadvantaged children. From the age of three, there is a gap in cognitive outcomes between disadvantaged children and their peers, and in 2018 the Education Policy Institute reported that, on average, disadvantaged children were 4.3 months behind …
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Research shows the value of early years provision in supporting the attainment of disadvantaged children. From the age of three, there is a gap in cognitive outcomes between disadvantaged children and their peers, and in 2018 the Education Policy Institute reported that, on average, disadvantaged children were 4.3 months behind their peers in the early years phase.42 The Department recognised the critical importance of intervening in the early years, with about 40% of the overall gap between disadvantaged 16–year–olds and their peers having already emerged by age five, and these differences continuing to widen as children move through the education system.43
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Government response AI summary
The government will continue to evaluate the rollout of Family Hubs and Start for Life services and has increased the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) to up to £570 per eligible child per year, providing guidance to local authorities to ensure effective spending and working …
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HM Treasury
15
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
Despite the recognised value, in 2024–25 the maximum pupil premium annual rate per pupil in the early years (age 3–4) was £388, compared to £1,480 for primary school pupils and £1,050 for those at secondary school. The Department has not done any analysis to explain these funding differences.44 However, it …
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Despite the recognised value, in 2024–25 the maximum pupil premium annual rate per pupil in the early years (age 3–4) was £388, compared to £1,480 for primary school pupils and £1,050 for those at secondary school. The Department has not done any analysis to explain these funding differences.44 However, it told us it had increased the early years premium for 2025–26 by 45%, to £570, reflecting the very strong evidence base.45 The Department acknowledged that this remained significantly lower than the primary school rate, but explained not wanting to increase the rate too quickly which could create instability in the funding system by taking money away from other areas.46 The Department felt it had gone as far as it could, but committed to keeping the balance of funding under review, stressing the importance of matching increases in funding with the developing evidence base. Currently the evidence base for early years funding is still developing compared to that for primary and secondary school interventions.47
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Government response AI summary
The government announced a 45% uplift to the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP), increasing it to £570 per eligible child per year and published guidance to support local authorities in ensuring spend is used effectively, and will work with EEF to monitor the impact of …
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HM Treasury
16
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
The Department is currently extending early years entitlements so that, by September 2025, eligible working parents with a child aged nine months and above will be entitled to 30 hours of early years childcare a week.48 The Department acknowledged the new entitlements focused on working families, but did not agree …
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The Department is currently extending early years entitlements so that, by September 2025, eligible working parents with a child aged nine months and above will be entitled to 30 hours of early years childcare a week.48 The Department acknowledged the new entitlements focused on working families, but did not agree this could create disadvantages for 41 Q 36 42 C&AG’s Report, para 2.16 43 Qq 5, 6 44 C&AG’s Report, para 14 45 Q 22 46 Q 46 47 Qq 28, 46 48 C&AG’s Report, para 2.17 12 those children with unemployed parents. The Department pointed to the universal 15–hour entitlement for all three and four–year–olds, where it had seen an increase in take up. It also described the childcare entitlement for disadvantaged two–year–olds, and the early years pupil premium.49 The Department hoped this additional funding would encourage settings to accept disadvantaged children alongside those with working parents receiving entitlements.50
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Government response AI summary
The government will continue to evaluate the rollout of Family Hubs and Start for Life services and has increased the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) to up to £570 per eligible child per year, providing guidance to local authorities to ensure effective spending and working …
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HM Treasury
17
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
The Department told us that its childcare policy aimed to support child development and school readiness, alongside enabling parents to work, with supporting parents at home an important element.51 ‘Family hubs’, funded jointly with the Department for Health and Social Care, will be targeted in disadvantaged areas and aim to …
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The Department told us that its childcare policy aimed to support child development and school readiness, alongside enabling parents to work, with supporting parents at home an important element.51 ‘Family hubs’, funded jointly with the Department for Health and Social Care, will be targeted in disadvantaged areas and aim to support parents.52 The Department stressed that family hubs are a relatively new initiative, but described seeing some early evidence of their impact. For example, Doncaster has seen a 1.06 times improvement in children reaching the early years foundation stage profile by age five.53 However, the Department could not yet say whether family hubs were as effective as Sure Start in supporting children from disadvantaged backgrounds, in part as the impacts on GCSE attainment from Sure Start have taken some time to crystallise, with the best evidence only emerging recently.54 The Department said it had, however used evidence from Sure Start to design the family hubs programme, for example in choosing to focus the hubs in disadvantaged areas.55 The Department noted there was a lot of enthusiasm for family hubs and expanding them would be an area for Ministers to consider.56 49 Qq 27, 47 50 Q 47 51 Q 47 52 Qq 34, 47 53 Q 50 54 Qq 48, 50 55 Q 48 56 Q 49 13 2 Understanding spending and the support needed across providers Understanding how funds are spent
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Government response AI summary
The government announced a 45% uplift to the Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP), increasing it to £570 per eligible child per year and published guidance to support local authorities in ensuring spend is used effectively, and will work with EEF to monitor the impact of …
Read full response →
HM Treasury
18
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
The Department’s policy is to allow schools and other providers autonomy and flexibility to support disadvantaged children in a way that suits local circumstances and their pupils’ needs. More than 90% of the estimated £9.2 billion funding associated with disadvantage is not “ringfenced”. Schools can choose how to spend this …
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The Department’s policy is to allow schools and other providers autonomy and flexibility to support disadvantaged children in a way that suits local circumstances and their pupils’ needs. More than 90% of the estimated £9.2 billion funding associated with disadvantage is not “ringfenced”. Schools can choose how to spend this money which may be on wider priorities or teachers’ pay. They need not spend it in a way that benefits disadvantaged pupils.57 However, the Department does not have a good understanding of how schools spend most disadvantage related funding, or a systemic way to understand, for example, how schools spend pupil premium.58
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Government response AI summary
The department is reviewing options to improve reporting arrangements for the pupil premium grant, including potential digital solutions by Academic Year 2027-28, and is exploring ways to automate the current data collection and analysis process from Academic Year 2025-26.
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HM Treasury
19
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
We challenged the Department on Sutton Trust research from 2024 which found 47% of senior school leaders surveyed were using pupil premium to plug gaps in their budget, up from 23% in 2019.59 The Department said school leaders could still be using this funding on areas that have a good …
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We challenged the Department on Sutton Trust research from 2024 which found 47% of senior school leaders surveyed were using pupil premium to plug gaps in their budget, up from 23% in 2019.59 The Department said school leaders could still be using this funding on areas that have a good impact for disadvantaged children, such as high–quality teaching. The Education Endowment Foundation found good teachers benefited all pupils, but disadvantaged pupils more. The Department noted that spending funding on teaching aligned with the pupil premium aims, which may be more effective than individual, targeted, or smaller interventions.60 The National Association of Virtual School Heads told us that many schools were reporting using pupil premium for whole school interventions rather than supporting individual children, which the association felt was better.61 57 C&AG’s Report, para 3.2 58 C&AG’s Report, para 16, 17 59 Qq 23–24, 53; The Sutton Trust, School Funding and Pupil Premium Report 2024, 19 April 2024 60 Qq 53, 56 61 IEDO0018 14
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees and is reviewing options to improve reporting arrangements for the pupil premium grant by Academic Year 2027-28, and explore ways to automate the current data collection from Academic Year 2025-26.
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HM Treasury
20
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Acknowledged
The Department told us that schools valued the freedom to choose how they managed their budgets but said this did not mean a lack of accountability for spending. It described understanding that schools, particularly poorer performers, may divert funding for disadvantaged children to other areas. However, it believed that setting …
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The Department told us that schools valued the freedom to choose how they managed their budgets but said this did not mean a lack of accountability for spending. It described understanding that schools, particularly poorer performers, may divert funding for disadvantaged children to other areas. However, it believed that setting clear expectations, through an accountability system, supported schools to make good choices.62
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Government response AI summary
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation and the department is reviewing options to improve reporting arrangements for the pupil premium grant, including potential digital solutions by Academic Year 2027-28.
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HM Treasury
21
Recommendation
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Deferred
In terms of accountability for pupil premium, the Department described schools needing to clearly report how they used funding so governors could use this to provide challenge.63 All schools must publish an up–to–date pupil premium strategy statement setting out their spending plans. The Department acknowledged that its data showed that …
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In terms of accountability for pupil premium, the Department described schools needing to clearly report how they used funding so governors could use this to provide challenge.63 All schools must publish an up–to–date pupil premium strategy statement setting out their spending plans. The Department acknowledged that its data showed that not all schools were complying. In 2023, only 80% of schools sampled had published a 2022–23 pupil premium statement.64 The Department said it had followed up with those who had not published a statement, and they should now be updating and publishing their statements. However, as checks were completed on a sample basis it could not commit to following up with all those not complying.65
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Government response AI summary
The department is reviewing options to improve reporting arrangements for the pupil premium grant, including potential digital solutions by Academic Year 2027-28, and is exploring ways to automate the current data collection and analysis process to obtain better data from schools from Academic Year 2025-26.
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HM Treasury
22
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
The Department does not know how much schools spend on tutoring despite having strong evidence of its value, as it no–longer provides specific funding. With the National Tutoring Programme not continuing into 2024/25, schools must decide whether to fund this themselves.66 The Department explained that it had planned for the …
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The Department does not know how much schools spend on tutoring despite having strong evidence of its value, as it no–longer provides specific funding. With the National Tutoring Programme not continuing into 2024/25, schools must decide whether to fund this themselves.66 The Department explained that it had planned for the programme to last four years (to 2024/25) to address learning lost during the COVID–19 pandemic, with tutoring then being covered by mainstream funding.67 The Department expected many schools would want to continue tutoring, building on the clear benefits from upskilling staff and creating trained tutors, which could be funded through pupil premium.68 The Department told us this had been reflected in its updated pupil premium guidance and the “menu of evidence” available to schools to help them decide how to spend this funding.69 It explained that schools should follow their evidence as tutoring may not be the best approach for all children.70 The Department’s risk register has identified the need to promote the benefits of using pupil premium to fund 62 Qq 24, 54 63 Qq 24, 53 64 C&AG’s Report, para 17, Q55 65 Qq 57–58 66 C&AG’s Report, para 15 67 Q 23 68 Qq 23, 24, 29 69 Qq 23, 24 70 Q 29 15 tutoring.71 It has committed to tracking its use and impact going forward.72 We heard from various stakeholders about the value of a national tutoring programme.73 Supporting decisions in schools
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Government response AI summary
The department is reviewing options to improve reporting arrangements for the pupil premium grant, including potential digital solutions by Academic Year 2027-28, and is exploring ways to automate the current data collection and analysis process from Academic Year 2025-26.
Read full response →
HM Treasury
23
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
The Department stressed to us the importance of schools and other providers being able to spend funding effectively.74 The Department has expanded the support provided to schools to help them decide how to spend pupil premium funding. This includes signposting schools to the work of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), …
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The Department stressed to us the importance of schools and other providers being able to spend funding effectively.74 The Department has expanded the support provided to schools to help them decide how to spend pupil premium funding. This includes signposting schools to the work of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), one of government’s designated What Works Centres.75 In relation to pupil premium, the Department stressed that it asked schools to spend funding through evidence–based interventions using EEF’s toolkit that provided a clear guide to schools. The toolkit recommended that about a half of pupil premium be spent on high–quality teaching, a quarter on individual–level targeted interventions and a quarter on supporting wider outcomes such as attendance.76 The Department also described providing guidance to help schools develop mandatory pupil premium statements, amending the template to encourage adding links to evidence, and providing a “menu” of evidence–based approaches to consider.77 It said that most of the statements it had sampled linked back to the evidence base.78
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Government response AI summary
The department supports effective evidence-based decision making through grant funding of the EEF, promoting the EEF’s evidence to frontline decision makers, and monitoring how schools use evidence of what works in developing their pupil premium strategies, working with the EEF to build schools’ capability and …
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HM Treasury
24
Conclusion
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
The Department told us it monitors how well school leaders use pupil premium evidence, with 69% of school leaders saying they used EEF resources in its most recent survey.79 It believed this may be understated, as a higher proportion of the pupil premium statements it reviewed linked back to EEF …
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The Department told us it monitors how well school leaders use pupil premium evidence, with 69% of school leaders saying they used EEF resources in its most recent survey.79 It believed this may be understated, as a higher proportion of the pupil premium statements it reviewed linked back to EEF evidence.80 Although it described 70% as a reasonable proportion of school leaders, the Department acknowledged this figure should be closer to 100% and that 30% of schools potentially not using evidence was worrying. It committed to looking at this.81 The Department noted that the EEF is keen to make sure schools have access to the latest evidence, and that this can be easily shared and adopted in classrooms.82 71 Q 24 72 Q29 73 IEDO0005, IEDO0007, IEDO0015, IEDO0017, 74 Q 32 75 C&AG’s Report, para 3.6 76 Qq 7, 24, 25 77 C&AG’s Report, para 16, Para 3.6 78 Q 55 79 Qq 37, 55 80 Qq 37, 59–60 81 Qq 55, 60 82 Q 37 16
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Government response AI summary
The department supports effective evidence-based decision making through grant funding of the EEF, promoting the EEF’s evidence to frontline decision makers, and monitoring how schools use evidence of what works in developing their pupil premium strategies, working with the EEF to build schools’ capability and …
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HM Treasury
25
Recommendation
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
The Department recognises there are differences in how schools consider available evidence, and then the approaches they take to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children.83 The Department acknowledged that it needed to strengthen its support, beyond funding, for those schools not performing, including those needing further support to make decisions or …
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The Department recognises there are differences in how schools consider available evidence, and then the approaches they take to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children.83 The Department acknowledged that it needed to strengthen its support, beyond funding, for those schools not performing, including those needing further support to make decisions or facing high levels of poverty.84 It told us that its RISE teams, which bring together civil servants and expert advisers, would support schools where academic results suggested difficulties, or Ofsted had concerns. Support would be provided earlier than waiting for a formal departmental intervention to change leadership and governance.85 The Department said these teams would help schools make improvements based on good practice, and work alongside local authorities and academy trusts who have a role in sharing good practice.86 The Department also highlighted the extra support available to Priority Education Investment Areas, 24 local authorities with high levels of disadvantage and low levels of attainment. This included additional funding, and more schools being eligible for targeted teacher retention incentives.87 The Opportunities mission
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Government response AI summary
The department supports effective evidence-based decision making through grant funding of the EEF, promoting the EEF’s evidence to frontline decision makers, and monitoring how schools use evidence of what works in developing their pupil premium strategies, working with the EEF to build schools’ capability and …
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HM Treasury
26
Recommendation
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
The Department recognises the importance of cross–government working to improving outcomes for disadvantaged children, as a wide range of factors outside school influence children’s attainment. This includes housing, health and socio–economic deprivation. It described working across government, including through a critical partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) …
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The Department recognises the importance of cross–government working to improving outcomes for disadvantaged children, as a wide range of factors outside school influence children’s attainment. This includes housing, health and socio–economic deprivation. It described working across government, including through a critical partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on the Child Poverty Taskforce.88 However the Department also recognised that cross–government working is more challenging where, as has been the case, departments do not have a shared aim bringing together their work.89 The Department explained that departments talk to each other, but in having different priorities, it can be challenging to get things done.90 The previous Public Accounts Committee has recognised the value of cross government working to the successful delivery of many government policies and programmes, with a common purpose and shared vision a crucial factor.91 83 Q 9 84 Q 38 85 Qq 30, 39, 40 86 Q 41 87 Q 39 88 Q 34 89 Q34; C&AG’s Report, para 9, 1.18–1.20 90 Q 34 91 Committee of Public Accounts, Cross-Government Working, Twelfth report of session 2023–24, HC 75, 13 February 2024 17
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Government response AI summary
The department is working across government to deliver the Opportunity Mission, aiming for 75% of children reaching a good level of development at age 5 by 2028 and linking parental income data and outcomes for children.
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HM Treasury
27
Recommendation
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
Looking ahead, the Department explained that its forward plan and strategy for supporting disadvantaged children would be focussed around government’s mission to “Break down barriers to opportunity.” 92 The Department explained that this is summarised in the government’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024.93 This “mission–led” approach would also …
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Looking ahead, the Department explained that its forward plan and strategy for supporting disadvantaged children would be focussed around government’s mission to “Break down barriers to opportunity.” 92 The Department explained that this is summarised in the government’s Plan for Change, published in December 2024.93 This “mission–led” approach would also improve cross–government working by allowing and encouraging the Department to think holistically across the system, using evidence of what works across different areas, such as with analysis on housing, child poverty and health. The Department also felt the Opportunities mission would create a single shared aim for government to work towards. The benefits were already being seen in the joint Child Poverty Taskforce and closer working with the Department for Health and Social Care on the “best start for life” element of the Opportunities mission, and family hub support.94
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Government response AI summary
The department is working across government to deliver the Opportunity Mission, aiming for 75% of children reaching a good level of development at age 5 by 2028 and linking parental income data and outcomes for children.
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HM Treasury
28
Recommendation
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
The Department explained how single shared priorities also helped evaluate programmes objectively but acknowledged it would like to go further through joining up data and information, which the Opportunities mission could help give impetus to. It said it had made some progress, but felt that there was more to do …
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The Department explained how single shared priorities also helped evaluate programmes objectively but acknowledged it would like to go further through joining up data and information, which the Opportunities mission could help give impetus to. It said it had made some progress, but felt that there was more to do to, for example, better sharing of data between education, health and justice which continued to be a particular challenge.95
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Government response AI summary
The department is working across government to deliver the Opportunity Mission, aiming for 75% of children to reach a good level of development at age 5 by 2028; cross-government data work is underway, and outcome metrics are being tracked to monitor progress, including for key …
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HM Treasury
29
Recommendation
13th Report - Improving educational out…
Accepted
Alongside better cross–government working, the Department believed a mission–led approach would benefit its own strategic thinking, with the opportunities mission now forming the organising principle for its work.96 The Department told us it is already beginning to see an impact through how it prioritises work, with early years now a …
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Alongside better cross–government working, the Department believed a mission–led approach would benefit its own strategic thinking, with the opportunities mission now forming the organising principle for its work.96 The Department told us it is already beginning to see an impact through how it prioritises work, with early years now a greater priority in line with the government’s Plan for Change on the best start in life.97 In providing a clear organising structure, the Department believed the mission would also lead to improved decisions on business planning and allocating resources.98 92 Prime Minister’s Office, Break Down Barriers to Opportunity, 93 Q 31; HM Government, Plan for Change, 5 December 2024 94 Q 34 95 Q 35 96 Q 31 97 Q 31 98 Q 31 18
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Government response AI summary
The department is working across government to deliver the Opportunity Mission, aiming for 75% of children reaching a good level of development at age 5 by 2028 and linking parental income data and outcomes for children.
Read full response →
HM Treasury