In Thornbury, Yate and the surrounding villages, the average school’s NFF pupil-led funding is set to increase by 4.4%. This means that every pupil is set to benefit from the second year of the Government’s school funding settlement, the biggest increase in a decade. Schools across the country are to receive a £4.8 billion boost in 2021, compared with 2021, in the next steps to level up funding across the country.
For example, Alexander Hosea Primary schools will see an increase in funding of 8.4%, Oldbury on Severn Church of England Primary of 12.1%, St Johns Mead Church of England Primary of 7% and Woodlands Primary will benefit from an increase of 7.2%. Local secondary schools Chipping Sodbury and Marlwood will see an increase of 3.8%.
The investment will continue to deliver on the Prime Minister’s pledge to level up education funding and give all young people the same opportunities to succeed, regardless of where they grow up or go to school.
Funding is being allocated through the transformative national school funding formula, which ensures schools from the largest city secondaries to the smallest community primaries are allocated funding more fairly to meet their pupils’ needs. This has replaced the unfair and outdated previous system, where schools with similar characteristics received very different levels of funding with little or no justification.
This additional investment also includes a further increase of £730 million in high needs funding next year, to support children with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), on top of the £780 million increase local authorities are receiving in 2020-21. That is an increase of 10% and brings the total high needs budget to over £8 billion. Every local authority will receive at least 8% more per head of population, compared to this year, with some authorities receiving up to 12%. This vital extra resource will help local authorities to manage their cost pressures in this area, while enabling children with the most complex SEND to access the education that is right for them. The Government is continuing to pursue the cross-departmental review of the SEND system to see what further improvements are needed to ensure it supports children and young people as effectively as possible.
Since 2015, Luke Hall MP who was educated in South Gloucestershire Primary and Secondary Schools himself, has consistently raised the issue of Schools funding, standards and investment with Ministers and in Parliament over the years, by first urging the Government to introduce the new formula and then later making the case for further increases.
Additionally, Luke has conducted a personalised survey to every headteacher in the local area asking for their insights, feedback and specific cases as to the differences further increases going forward would make to driving up local standards.
Luke has also organised a roundtable meeting with Schools Minister Nick Gibb MP to discuss the issue of school funding in South Gloucestershire. He invited a selection of local Primary and Secondary school head teachers from across South Gloucestershire to directly input into Government policy and discuss and engage directly with the Minister on the Headteacher’s thoughts on the local education offer.
Local MP Luke said;
“As a local father who was educated in South Gloucestershire state schools, I understand just how important this latest school funding announcement is for local pupils. I have consistently fought for money for our local schools and will continue to campaign for my Positive Plan for schools and family life; ensuring that schools like Castle School receive the funding they need, and pressing the council to build two new primary schools and an additional SEN school. Our children’s education must be a priority.”
