This report is the third in a series of annual reports on education spending in England. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Nuffield Foundation, which has funded this series of annual reports (grant number EDO/43355). The Nuffield Foundation is an independent charitable trust with a mission to advance educational opportunity and social well-being. It funds research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare and Justice. It also provides opportunities for young people to develop skills and confidence in science and research. The Nuffield Foundation is the founder and co-funder of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory and the Ada Lovelace Institute. The Nuffield Foundation has funded this project, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the Foundation. For more Schools 1 School spending per pupil in England fell by 9% in real terms between 2009-10 and 2019-20. This represents the largest cut in over 40 years, but it came on the back of a significant increase in spending per pupil of over 60% during the 2000s.2 Over the 2010s, cuts in spending per pupil were lower in Wales (5%), but similar in Northern Ireland (10%). In contrast, spending per pupil in Scotland rose by 5% in real terms over the 2010s, reflecting extra funding to pay for increases in teacher pay totalling more than 10% over 2018 and 2019. Spending per pupil is highest in Scotland (£7,300), at similar levels in Wales and England (£6,100) and lowest in Northern Ireland (£5,800).3 The government has allocated an extra £7.1 billion for schools in England in 2022-23. This will increase spending per pupil by 9% in real terms between 2019-20 and 2022-23 (as measured against expected general inflation) and near enough reverse past cuts. If we account for expected increases in teacher pay, the real-terms increase in spending per pupil will be lower, at 6%. In any case, spending per pupil in 2022-23 is set to be no higher in real terms than in 2009-10.4 Secondary school spending per pupil in England (£6,000) was about 16% higher than in primary schools (£5,200) in 2019-20. This is down from a secondary/primary funding difference of 30% in 2010-11, partly reflecting large cuts to school sixth-form funding. It also continues a long-run trend, with the funding difference down from over 50% during the 1980s. Whilst empirical evidence shows high benefits to spending at younger ages, it is not clear evidence supports such a dramatic shift. 2020 annual report on education spending in England The Institute for Fiscal Studies, November 2020 9 5 The school funding system in England provides greater levels of spending to more deprived schools to help narrow the achievement gap between rich and poor. During the 2000s, the extra funding received by the most deprived schools compared with the least deprived ones grew from 20-25% in 2000-01 to 35% by 2010-11. 6 Despite the introduction of the Pupil Premium in 2011, the deprivation funding premium shrank back to 25% in 2018-...
In the last decade, there have been significant cuts to spending on adult education and large falls in the numbers of adult learners, particularly amongst those taking low-level qualifications. The government is planning to partially reverse these cuts as part of wider plans to improve technical education and level up poorer areas of the country. As part of these plans, the government has also pledged to introduce a Lifelong Loan Entitlement to provide all adults with an entitlement to higher education style loan funding for four years of post-18 education, which can be used flexibly across time and different types of courses. This briefing note seeks to provide context to these reforms and what we know already about their potential impact. Key findings1 There have been large falls in the numbers of adult learners and spending on adult education over the last decade. Total spending on adult education and apprenticeships fell by 38% between 2010-11 and 2020-21, with a 50% fall in spending on classroom-based adult education. The numbers of adult learners also fell significantly, particularly those taking low-level qualifications, with a 50% fall in numbers taking qualifications at Level 2 and below, and a 33% fall in the number of adults taking Level 3 qualifications. 2 Partial reverse of past cuts. The cuts to adult education will be partially reversed by an additional £900 million in extra spending in 2024-25, which includes money for a restoration of public funding for adults' first full Level 3 qualifications. However, total spending on adult education and apprenticeships will still be 25% lower in 2024-25 compared with 2010-11. 3 Full-time participation at degree level has expanded. The number of fulltime undergraduates has increased by nearly 25% since 2010. This has been facilitated by the student loan system covering tuition and maintenance costs. The number of full-time postgraduates grew by 60% after postgraduate loans were introduced in 2016. 4 Other forms of higher education have seen falling numbers. The number of (mostly mature) students on part-time undergraduate degrees has plummeted by almost 50% since 2010 and there was a 28% decline in the
Foundation is an independent charitable trust with a mission to advance social well-being. It funds research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare and Justice. It also funds student programmes that provide opportunities for young people to develop skills in quantitative and scientific methods. The Nuffield Foundation is the founder and co-funder of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the Ada Lovelace Institute and the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. The Foundation has funded this project, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily of the Foundation. Visit www.nuffieldfoundation.org. The author would like to thank policymakers from the Department for Education, Welsh Government, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive and colleagues at IFS, who have commented on and greatly informed the analysis in this report.How does school spending per pupil differ across the UK?
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