Schools in England are facing a looming funding crisis, with spending per pupil in 2024-25 expected to be 3% lower than in 2010, according to research.
After a decade of austerity cuts, ministers pledged to restore per pupil funding to 2010 levels by the end of the current parliament, but the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says the government is no longer on track to meet its objective because of the cost pressures on schools.
The IFS research calculates that the increased costs schools are facing are “just about affordable” for the next academic year because of a £4bn rise in the schools budget this year.
It warns, however, that the government’s spending plans going forward are insufficient and real-terms cuts will follow, undermining the role that schools might play in its levelling up ambitions.
