VerbatimParliament, as it happens

Primary Education: Rural Areas

Asked by Steff AquaroneLiberal DemocratDepartment for EducationTabled Answered 25 June 2026UIN 12024

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will publish new research and guidance on efficiently running small primary schools for small rural primary schools.

Answered by Georgia Gould

The department is committed to supporting all schools, including small rural primaries, to manage their resources effectively and maximise value. Through our ‘Maximising value for pupils’ programme, we are helping schools realise better value from existing spend, including on energy, agency supply staff, banking, and management information systems. This support is available to all schools, regardless of size or location.

We recognise the unique challenges of small rural primary schools and that is why our Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool allows schools to compare their spending against others in similar circumstances, including by size and location, so that leaders can make informed decisions that reflect the realities of their school, rather than comparing themselves to settings with different contexts.

Verbatim has judged this answer against the question that was actually asked — answered, partly answered, or evaded. Sign in to see the verdict →

Open this question in Verbatim →

Every written question, searchable

155,000 questions tabled since the election, with the answer each department gave — and the ones still unanswered, with the clock running. Free to search.

Search written questions →Read on Verbatim