Cautious welcome for school funding

Schools can always do with more

Head teachers have welcomed the announcement of a new formula for the way schools get their money, with the promise of an increase of 5.2% per pupil on average next year.

But they say "the jury is out" on whether they would have enough to deliver the reforms the government was looking for.

The increases vary between local education authorities (LEAs), with an average total increase of 6.5% for all education purposes and a minimum of 3.1%.

The School Standards Minister, David Miliband, said there would be further increases each year until 2006 so that schools would by then have had an average increase in funding of £1,000 per pupil since 1997.

'Fairer'

He said reform of the system had been needed badly.

"Previously distribution of the money was calculated using 1991 census information and spending patterns.

"It was complicated and did not reflect the division of responsibilities between schools and LEAs.

"The new system is fairer, simpler, more transparent and more up-to-date - it better reflects recent social and population changes in England."

The amount of money the LEA is given for its schools will depend on a basic amount per pupil, with extra for deprivation and areas with additional costs.

The increases per authority range from 3% for Haringey to 10.3% for Wokingham.

The detailed implications are to be announced later.

'Greater equity'

As well as requiring LEAs to send all their schools an account of funding each year, showing whether they have passed on increases from the government, ministers now have the power to set a minimum budget for schools if they think councillors have not done so.

The general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, John Dunford, said it added up to a great improvement on the present system.

"We particularly welcome the government's intention to bring greater equity across the country so that similar pupils in different areas will attract broadly the same funding."

But his counterpart at the National Association of Head Teachers, David Hart, said:

"The jury is out on whether the new funding system will inject the cash head teachers need if they are to deliver the government's reform agenda.

"I am absolutely sure that the government has made a real attempt to reduce the current widespread disparities, but until heads see the impact on their budgets in the New Year it is quite impossible to judge whether the government has produced the goods."