More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Boris Johnson arrived at a Kent school today to announce a "level-up" in pupil funding across the country.
The government has revealed each secondary school will attract a minimum of £5,150 per pupil and each primary a minimum of £4,000 from 2021.
Boris Johnson at The Discovery School today. Video: PA
Mr Johnson was at Discovery School in Kings Hill to make the announcement today.
In total, school funding is due to increase by 4% and high-needs funding by 10%, while smaller and remote schools are in line for a pledged 60% boost.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Every child deserves a superb education - regardless of which school they attend, or where they happened to grow up.
“That is why we are providing additional funding now and for the future for every school - with those historically underfunded receiving the greatest increase.
“I want to again thank teachers, childcare workers and support staff for the brilliant work they have done throughout the pandemic, and for the preparations underway to welcome back all children from September.
“Our £1 billion covid catch-up package, on top of these increases in per pupil funding, will help head teachers support those who have fallen behind while out of school, and deliver a superb education for all children across the country.”
The government is billing the funding programme as a £4.8 billion boost nationwide
The prime minister promised a “big summer catch-up” last month, as pressure mounted on No.10's failure to get all pupils back into schools.
A 1,000-pupil secondary school will receive £80,000 and a 200-pupil primary school will receive £16,000 to tackle the impact of lost teaching time as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Headteachers can decide how best to use their schools’ premium allocation but are encouraged to spend it on evidence-driven approaches including small group or one-to-one tuition.
Leora Cruddas, CEO of the Confederation of School Trusts, said: “We are pleased that there will be a rise in per-pupil funding in England in 2021. It is very important that there is also an increase in funding for special education needs where the sector has felt significant cost pressures.
"It is important that education funding is not left behind during the response to the global pandemic.”
