UK to provide grants for all schools from £1 billion Covid ‘catch-up’ fund

EVERY pupil in England will see another rise in funding in 2021 as schools are set to receive a £4.8 billion boost next year compared to 2019.

Each secondary school will attract a minimum of £5,150 per pupil and each primary a minimum of £4,000 per pupil under the national funding formula from 2021, up from the £5,000 and £3,750 which schools are receiving this year as part of the £14.4 billion funding settlement over three years.

Schools will also receive grants from the government’s £1 billion Covid catch-up package next academic year.

Extra funding for small and remote schools will increase by over 60 per cent. Pupils and families in rural areas from Cumbria to Norfolk will benefit from support for their local schools to remain financially secure, the government announced on Monday (20).

“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," said prime minister Boris Johnson.

“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 £650 million catch-up premium, one part of the £1 billion Covid catch-up package, will be based on the number of pupils and paid once a term over the 2020-21 academic year. 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 on pupils as a result of the pandemic, an official statement said.

Disadvantaged pupils in schools and colleges will also benefit from the second part of the catch-up fund, a £350 million tutoring fund.

“This year has been incredibly challenging for schools, teachers, and students due to the Covid-19 outbreak, with everyone working in education going to incredible lengths to support children and ensure they can get back to the classroom," said education secretary Gavin Williamson.

“Not only are we confirming another year of increased and better targeted funding for our schools, but with our transformative national funding formula we are making sure the money is distributed fairly across the country so all schools can drive up standards."

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."