The Department for Education has confirmed that the 2024-25 schools budget will be the largest ever both in real terms and in real terms per pupil.
Over £59.6 billion has been allocated in 2024-25, an increase of £1.8 billion from 2023-24 and £5.7 billion from 2022-23.
In Skipton and Ripon, the total funding for all schools will increase by 3.5 per cent to hit £77,636,026 – equating to average per pupil funding of £5,722 for primary schools and £6,380 for secondary schools, both above the national average.
The Department for Education has also announced that North Yorkshire’s high needs funding will rise by 5 per cent – the highest possible increase – to total £83 million in 2024-25. This represents an increase of just under £4 million on the previous year and means that, since 2021-22, the high needs funding per head for those aged two to eighteen has risen by 34 per cent.
The nearly £60 billion of funding nationally marks an increase of 14.8 per cent per pupil compared to this year, with over £7.9 billion of this allocated for additional needs, helping schools close attainment gaps and level up education opportunities.
High needs funding is set to increase by £440 million nationally (4.3 per cent), meaning the total high needs budget will rise to over £10.5 billion in 2024-25, a rise of over 60 per cent on the 2019-20 budget.
While North Yorkshire Council will continue to decide how to distribute this funding to local schools in 2024-25, the Government has confirmed that – following a public consultation – it is moving towards a ‘direct’ national funding formula for schools. This will ensure fairness and consistency across the country by funding every mainstream school in England through the same national formula.
Details on how much funding each school across Skipton and Ripon would receive if this national funding formula was followed locally can be found at: https://skillsfunding.service.gov.uk/national-funding-formula/
