Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Twenty-First Report - School Funding
Public Accounts Committee
HC 183
Published 22 October 2021
Government response
Treasury minutes: Government response to the Committee of Public Accounts on the Twenty-First report from Session 2021-22 · published 14 Dec 2021
Recommendations & Conclusions
8
Conclusion
Acknowledged
The written evidence that we received raised concerns about the impact of the national funding...
Conclusion
The written evidence that we received raised concerns about the impact of the national funding formula. Professor Tanya Ovenden-Hope said that the formula had not delivered the expected significant increases in funding for small schools, including rural schools which have …
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Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges concerns about the national funding formula (NFF) and reiterates its belief that the NFF distributes funding fairly. It further states it has published a consultation on moving to a direct, single national formula, with a gradual transition proposed from 2023-24 and annual impact analyses to be published.
HM Treasury
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17
Conclusion
Acknowledged
Overall, between 2014–15 and 2020–21, the balance of funding shifted from secondary schools to primary...
Conclusion
Overall, between 2014–15 and 2020–21, the balance of funding shifted from secondary schools to primary schools. Secondary school funding per pupil fell by 3.9% in real terms, while primary school funding increased by 4.2%. The main cause of this shift …
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Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the committee's observation, stating its commitment to investing in 16-19 education, including school sixth forms, with an additional £1.6 billion by 2024-25, and will continue to consider how funding streams interact to support financial sustainability.
HM Treasury
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18
Conclusion
Acknowledged
The Department said that it had looked carefully at the balance between funding for primary...
Conclusion
The Department said that it had looked carefully at the balance between funding for primary and secondary schools when it had designed the national funding formula.26 We asked whether school sixth forms were losing out in an attempt to prop …
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Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges concerns about cross-subsidy and commits to continued investment in 16-19 education, noting additional funding made available. It states that the department will continue to consider how different funding streams interact to support the financial sustainability of schools with sixth forms.
HM Treasury
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20
Conclusion
Acknowledged
The funding that schools receive is largely determined by how many pupils they have.
Conclusion
The funding that schools receive is largely determined by how many pupils they have. Under the national funding formula, the Department allocates 73.5% of schools block funding based on pupil numbers. A further 17.9% of funding relates to the number …
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Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges the committee's observation on funding allocation and states it has published a consultation on moving to a direct, single national funding formula. It proposes a gradual transition from 2023-24 and will publish an annual analysis of its impact, with the first due in July 2022.
HM Treasury
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31
Conclusion
Acknowledged
The Department explained that it had begun a consultation process about moving to a hard...
Conclusion
The Department explained that it had begun a consultation process about moving to a hard funding formula on 8 July 2021. Ultimately, its goal was to allocate funding consistently across the system as whole, so that schools with the same …
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Government Response Summary
The Department noted it has recently published a consultation document, 'Completing our Reforms to the NFF', which proposes moving to a direct funding allocation for schools based on a national formula.
HM Treasury
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