Schools: Costs
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions her Department has had with head teachers on (a) energy bills and (b) other costs for schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
Overall core revenue funding for schools totals almost £61.6 billion this 2024/25 financial year. The overall core schools budget is increasing by over £3.2 billion in the 2025/26 financial year, meaning the core schools budget will total over £64.8 billion.
The department holds discussions on energy costs and other cost pressures with sector bodies, including representatives for headteachers. This includes regular meetings with the Schools and Academies Funding Group and the Service-level Working Group on Education and Children's Services.
The department provides advice to headteachers and is developing a suite of productivity initiatives to support schools in making efficiencies in their budgets. This includes giving schools the opportunity to join the department’s ‘Energy for Schools’ initiative. When schools' energy contracts are up for renewal, they can join the department's contract. During the pilot for this project, schools saved 36% on average compared to their previous contracts. The Schools Resource Management Advisor Programme works with headteachers by providing peer to peer advice on resources and costs at school level. We continue to work with schools to ensure, where needed, they are accessing our full suite of existing support to help manage budgets.
The department will continue to monitor cost pressures, as it usually does.
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