f40 was set up more than 20 years ago by the lowest funded local authorities in England for education with the aim of campaigning for fairer funding, where all schools are given sufficient funding to run a school before extra money is added on for specific area, school and pupil needs.
While some progress has been made with the introduction of the National Funding Formula, progress is slow and it will take at least 15 to 20 years to close the gap on funding, which is more than a whole generation of children.
As illustrated by these graphs below, there continues to be huge disparities in school and SEND funding, with many local authorities and schools receiving thousands of pounds less per pupil than others.
The difference is as much as £5,000 per pupil between the lowest and highest funded schools. That cannot be right.
Similar neighbouring authorities with comparable pupils and needs can receive wildly different funding. Conversely, a school with fewer SEND pupils can receive the same funding as a school with significantly more SEND pupils.
f40 does not want to see funding taken away from the highest funded areas, but it does want to see the lowest funded areas lifted up.
The National Funding Formula must be improved to make funding more equitable. There continues to be too many factors locking in significant gains for some schools or capping others from receiving more.
Irrelevant historic SEND data that bears no resemblance to today’s needs should also not be used to determine funding. Currently, the lowest funded authority for SEND receives £960 per pupil, whilst the highest receives £3,300.
We appreciate there will always be some differences in funding levels between some local authorities, but the current differential is far too wide.
f40 is campaigning for:
- The funding formulae for schools and SEND to be improved so they are fairer, and the lowest funded areas lifted up to ensure all pupils receive equal opportunities and funding.
