Phased introduction of school funding

The Department for Education (DfE) has confirmed its intention to move to a National Funding Formula from 2020/21, though this is subject to agreement in the next Comprehensive Spending Review.

This means that local authorities will have no discretion in the values of the individual factors used to distribute funding to schools.

For the next two financial years though, local authorities retain some discretion in setting the funding formula, giving the opportunity to implement the national formula gradually.

A report to councillors last week explained that the transition arrangements were put to the Schools Forum, which agreed the approach.

Final figures are not yet available from the DfE, but it is estimated that this approach will make available to schools an overall​ ​figure​ ​of​ ​£175,760,165,​ a one per cent​ ​increase​ ​on 2017/18​ ​funding.