Lancashire schools to receive nearly £1.2 million in government funding in 2022/23

The Department of Education has recently revealed its forecast allocations for school funding to local authorities for 2022/23, and Lancashire schools are set to receive £1,115,737,128 overall, more than they received in previous years.

This 2022/23 dedication schools grant (DSG) allocation includes £869,940,171 for mainstream schools, £158,303,915 for the special educational needs block and £80,654,601 for early years education.

A further £6,838,441 will go towards the central school services block, which is for local authority services that are delivered to schools, such as coordinating admissions rounds for schools in the area.

The announcement for the 2022/23 period represents an increase of around £300,000 compared to the previous two years, with Lancashire receiving £898,195,422 in 2021/22 and in £832,003,186 in 2020/21.

It is then up to Lancashire County Council to decide where to allocate this funding locally.

Ian Watkinson, NEU National Executive Member for Lancashire said: "The NEU welcomes the increase in school funding next year. We were disappointed that the first year of the Government’s funding uplift did not translate into additional income for schools. The NEU has been campaigning on school funding since 2015 when the Government promised to protect school funding in their manifesto and then proceeded to make the biggest cuts in more than a generation.

"Even after this increase, school funding will still not be returned to 2015-16 levels and as a result of the Government’s devastating cuts we have the largest primary class sizes this century and the largest secondary class sizes since records began in 1978.

"We will continue to monitor school funding and campaign to make sure that the Government delivers on their promises to our children."

The Lancashire allocation is part of a projected extra £506m funding boost for schools across the North West next year, which aims to improve education and level up opportunity for all.  

This includes a forecast increase for mainstream school funding in the North West of £360m (or a cash increase of 5.8 per cent per pupil ) and £147m increase to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities   .

The forecast increase means mainstream schools in the North West will receive a total of £5.7bn for the next year, with every primary school receiving at least £4,362 per pupil, and every secondary school at least £5,669 per pupil, whilst high needs funding will receive a total of £1.2bn. 

These funding boosts will support schools and high needs provision with the costs of the Health and Social Care Levy, to pay an increased employer’s National Insurance contribution in the next financial year, as well as other cost pressures.   

Early Years provision in the North West has also been provisionally allocated £503m for 2022-23, following the increased hourly funding rates announced on November 25, and allocations will be adjusted to take account of the actual number of children taking up the free entitlements in the area

Schools Minister Robin Walker said: “Every pupil, no matter where they grow up or go to school, deserves an excellent education and the chance to fulfil their potential.  

 “This £506m funding boost gives a significant increase to every pupil in every school in the North West - delivering on our commitment to level up outcomes and opportunities for young people.  

“This additional investment will also help to improve support for pupils with special educational needs, helping to ensure all young people can thrive and succeed.”  

Nationally the core schools budget for 2022-23 is rising by £4bn, including a boost of £1.6bn in funding from the Spending Review 2021, which gives every local authority above-inflation increases of at least 4.7 per cent per cent (in cash terms) for mainstream school funding.   

The Department for Education says this delivers on the Prime Minister’s commitment when entering Downing Street to level up school funding by pledging over £14 bn in primary and secondary education by 2022/3 – "and goes further still." 

 Additionally, to help schools target support for disadvantaged children and young people, Pupil Premium rates in 2022-23 will increase by 2.7%, in line with forecast inflation as published by the Office of Budget Responsibility (OBR) at the 2021 Spending Review.       

The core schools funding comes alongside the Government’s investment totalling nearly £5bn, up to 2024-25, to help children and young people recover from the impact of the pandemic, which includes spending £1.5bn on a national tutoring revolution in schools and colleges.