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Written question asked by Damien Egan (Labour) on Monday, 14 September 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 12 October 2026. It was answered by Georgia Gould (Labour) on Tuesday, 13 October 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Schools: Finance

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will revise the funding formula for schools in England to better reflect educational disadvantages among young people from white working-class backgrounds.

Answer

The Independent Inquiry into White Working-Class Educational Outcomes published its report in June 2026. The department will continue to engage with the Inquiry as it takes forward the next stage of its work.

The department is determined to do more to improve the life chances of our disadvantaged children, and the ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ white paper establishes our plan to improve outcomes for all children.

We are investing significantly in the core schools budget in the 2026/27 financial year, with an extra £2.3 billion for schools.

The schools national funding formula (NFF) distributes funding for mainstream schools based on schools’ and pupils’ needs and characteristics.

In the 2026/27 financial year, 11% (£5.6 billion) of the schools NFF has been allocated through deprivation factors, and 18.1% (£9.2 billion) has been allocated for additional needs overall. In addition, we are providing approximately £3.2 billion of pupil premium funding.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
29581
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Disadvantaged Finance Schools Young people Social class
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk