School funding and the pupil premium

22 December 2010

The Coalition Government have recently made a number of announcements on how schools in England are to be funded. A pupil premium will be introduced which provides additional funding to schools linked to the admission of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds, including an initial £430 for each pupil registered for free school meals (FSM). A national funding formula is also planned to be consulted on, which will determine funding on an individual school basis, replacing the current system whereby Local Authorities determine how funding is allocated between schools in their area.

NFER has explored the context to these changes, considering a number of issues around the allocation and use of school funding and examining variations in funding between and within government office regions.