Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

School Budgets since 2010

Monday 29 April 2024 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Nadia Whittome expressed concern about real-term reductions in school budgets since 2010, noting a loss of 1,266 per pupil.
  • The Minister responded that education funding supports high-quality teaching and cited improved performance in core subjects since 2010.
  • Harriett Baldwin welcomed a letter from Malvern College and discussed its economic impact on Worcestershire.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Nadia Whittome Lab Nottingham East
Education
Context

Schools in Nottingham East face real-terms reductions in funding since 2010, according to the National Education Union's analysis.

Question

I am concerned about the impact of real-term reductions to school budgets since 2010 on school children. Schools' costs have increased much faster than funding, with every single school having less real-terms funding last year than in 2010, a loss of £1,266 per pupil.

Answer from Damian Hinds

We are funding high-quality education; performance in mathematics, English and science for 15-year-olds has improved dramatically since 2010. The NEU analysis is flawed as it does not include the high-needs budget growth.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked about funding cuts and their impact on education quality, but the answer focused mainly on performance improvements without directly addressing the funding shortfall or its consequences.

How: Performance Improvement, Flawed Analysis

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Q2 Nadia Whittome Lab Nottingham East
Education
Context

Schools in Nottingham East face real-terms reductions in funding since 2010, according to the National Education Union's analysis.

Question

I thank the Minister for his response, but what he says about the state of school funding is not the full picture. Schools' costs have increased much faster than funding; every single school had less real-terms funding last year than in 2010, a loss of £1,266 per pupil.

Answer from Damian Hinds

We are funding high-quality education; performance in mathematics, English and science for 15-year-olds has improved dramatically since 2010. The NEU analysis is flawed as it does not include the high-needs budget growth.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The questioner asked about funding cuts and their impact on education quality, but the answer focused mainly on performance improvements without directly addressing the funding shortfall or its consequences.

How: Performance Improvement, Flawed Analysis

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Q3 Harriett Baldwin Con West Worcestershire
Education
Context

Malvern College in Worcestershire, an independent school and major local employer, contributes £28 million to the local economy. If its 300-plus fee-paying pupils had to be educated in public schools, it would impose a significant cost on the system.

Question

Will the Minister join me in welcoming the letter I received from Malvern College in Worcestershire this week? The school is one of the largest employers in Worcestershire and contributes £28 million to the local economy. If its 300-plus fee-paying pupils had to be educated in public schools, that would come at a huge cost.

Answer from Damian Hinds

My hon. Friend is exactly correct; if Labour got into government, there would be a hike in private school costs, pushing many families out of that provision and into the state-funded system, causing great strain and possibly cuts affecting other children.

Not addressed: The questioner asked for support in welcoming Malvern College's contribution to the local economy. The Minister did not directly address this request but instead discussed Labour's policies on private schools.

How: Labour Party Policy

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