Schools facing millions in lost funding due to miscalculation by Department for Education

Schools in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire are among those facing millions in lost funding because of a miscalculation by the government.

The Department for Education had initially said it would be increasing the amount of school funding per pupil by 2.7 per cent in 2024/25.

However, due to the error this increase is now going to be 1.9 per cent per pupil.

Norfolk County Council said the new figures mean £5.6 million less for the county and that all mainstream schools will not receive the level of funding they were expecting.

Councillor Penny Carpenter, Norfolk County Council’s cabinet member for children’s services, said she had written to the Department for Education to express her frustration.

She added: “I sympathise with schools placed in this unfortunate position by the Government’s error in July.

"We will work with schools and academy trusts to help them fully understand the details of the announcement and its impact."

In Cambridgeshire the council said it would be receiving £4 million less than it was expecting, highlighting that the area already had some of the lowest funding per pupil in the country.

Jonathan Lewis, the director of education, said: "For Cambridgeshire this meant we went from a budget of £477 million down to £473 million, so a reduction of just over £4 million.

"Obviously the implication is that with the pay award and the other challenges that we are facing that is quite a significant implication.

"It is going to be very challenging, obviously we are very disappointed with the national picture, but we will have to deal with that and we will obviously advise you on that as we progress the budget setting process."

The Department for Education has apologised for the miscalculation and the government as ordered and inquiry.

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