Today the Government has announced a further £2,186,538 in extra funding for schools in Mid Sussex, as part of £2 billion boost this year and next for primary schools and secondary schools in England.
Since my election as a Member of Parliament, I have championed the need to further educational investment.
As the Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression I am acutely aware of education's profound equalising effects. As such, I remain deeply committed to delivering on our community’s priorities, including investing in high-quality schools to support young people to reach their full potential, particularly those who face challenges or who need extra support.
As a result of this cash injection, a typical primary school in the constituency will receive approximately an extra £35,000, and £200,000 for a typical secondary school.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies has highlighted this uplift will mean 2024–25 will be the highest spending year in history for schools. In total the school’s 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, including to pay for teacher salary uplifts and teaching assistants. The remainder of the £2 billion funding boost will be used to increase Pupil Premium funding rates, which are rising by five per cent in 2023–24. 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.
We are delivering on our commitment to provide the next generation with a world-class education and deliver opportunity for all–wherever they come from and whatever their background
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 across Mid Sussex can be confident schools are being supported to let teachers get on and do what they do best- teach.
