NGA comment on reforms to how local authorities' school improvement functions are funded
Following a consultation that took place from 29 October to 26 November 2021, the Department for Education has confirmed its intention to remove the School Improvement Monitoring and Brokering grant. The grant is currently allocated to local authorities to support school improvement activities and makes provisions to allow local authorities to fund all of their school improvement activity through delegation from schools’ budget shares. The grant will be reduced by 50% for the financial year and 2022-23 and end in the financial year 2023-24.
Steve Edmonds, director of advice and guidance at NGA commented:“NGA is disappointed that this decision has been taken despite the significant concerns that were raised in the consultation, particularly from councils and the maintained sector about removing this additional source of funding. Our response to the consultation did not support the proposals in their current form, because they lacked evidence of how the funding would be better used elsewhere to improve outcomes for children and young people in every part of the country. Furthermore, it is our view that while local authorities retain their current role in maintaining a large proportion of schools, they must be properly funded to fulfil their core improvement responsibilities without the need to top slice school budgets that are already stretched.”