Gloria De Piero – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gloria De Piero on 2016-07-18.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the effect of increased national insurance and pension employer contributions on school budgets.

Nick Gibb

Funding for education is a priority for the Government. At the Spending Review last November, the Chancellor protected the core schools budget in real terms, enabling a per-pupil protection for the dedicated schools grant. Throughout this Parliament the money available for our schools will increase as pupil numbers rise.

We recognise that schools are facing increased costs as a result of changes to employer pension and national insurance contributions. We believe that the best way to help schools is through the introduction of a national funding formula.

A national funding formula will do more to put all schools on a level playing field, where funding is matched to need. It will also make it easier for head teachers, governing bodies and local authorities to compare their spending and outcomes with other schools.