Birkenhead Conservatives have welcomed extra funding from the Conservative Government, providing schools in Birkenhead with £2,194,338 in extra funding, as part of £2 billion this year and next for primary schools and secondary schools in England.
Every state school in England will receive extra cash following the additional £2 billion investment. A typical primary school will receive approximately an extra £35,000, and £200,000 for a typical secondary school.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has highlighted this will mean 2024–25 will be the highest spending year in history for schools. In total the schools budget will be £58.8 billion in 2024-25 – meaning the Conservative Government is putting more into school than ever before. It also means school funding is set to rise faster than forecast inflation in both 2023–24 and 2024–25.
Schools will receive their first payment by 10 May 2023 and will be able to choose how best to invest the extra funding.
The remainder of the £2 billion funding boost will be used to increase Pupil Premium funding rates. This extra funding will support disadvantaged pupils, local authorities’ high needs budgets, and special schools, making sure every child with special educational needs and disabilities receives the support and high quality education they deserve.
Commenting, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan added: "I am hugely grateful to all our fantastic teachers, school leaders and support staff for all their incredible work and the immeasurable impact they have on the lives of children every day.
“Teachers must continue to have the resources they need, and this extra cash will make sure that they do.
“With school funding set to be at its highest ever level next year, even accounting for inflation, parents everywhere can be confident schools are being supported to let teachers get on and do what they do best - teach.”
Investment in schools and colleges includes:
Providing £2 billion extra school funding this year and next, helping schools and colleges with the highest spending on schools in history. 2024-25 will be the highest spending year in history for schools – the total the schools budget will be £58.8 billion in 2024-25, with the Conservative Government putting more into schools than ever before (DfE, Press Release, 26 April 2023, link; DfE, Press Release, 6 December 2022, link).
Providing £500 million for energy efficiency upgrades for schools and colleges, helping them to save on their bills. On average, a primary school will receive approximately £16,000, a secondary school will receive around £42,000, and further education college groups will receive approximately £290,000 (DfE, Press Release, 6 December 2022, link).
Boosting schools and skills under the Levelling Up plans with 55 Education Investment Areas and extra funding and support for skills to Level Up across the country. Through the Levelling Up White Paper, the Conservative Government are targeting support to 55 areas across the country where school outcomes are weakest to target investment, support and action, including: retention payments to help keep the best teachers, new specialist sixth form free schools, and new reading, writing and maths targets (DfE, Press Release, 1 February 2022, link).
