School Funding

Expenditure on education and children’s social care functions

Each year we submit our budget and outturn statements on our planned and actual spending to the secretary of state for education. These statements -

• cover our spending for education and children’s social care functions as required under section 251 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009
• are our primary means of informing schools and the public about our funding and spending plans
• provide detailed information in a form that allows benchmarking by schools forums and authorities

The data is published by the Department of Education (DfE) who produce statistics and benchmarking tables.

Visit the GOV.UK website for section 251 documents 

School forums and others can review the Information supplied through section 251 to aid their discussions about budgets and use of funds.

Section 251 budget statements

By 31 March each year we submit our section 251 budget statement to the secretary of state for education. The budget statement includes -

• the total dedicated schools grant (DSG) planned expenditure and other non statutory spending
• planned expenditure for schools including spending on early years, high needs and post 16
• details of the children and young people’s services budget

Part one - Local Authority level information

This document provides -

• an overall picture of the funding being allocated direct to schools
• funding being spent on education centrally
• funding being spent on children’s social care

Part two - School table

This document lists place numbers and funding for maintained special and hospital schools, and pupil referral units

Part three - Early years pro forma

This document show the details of our early years single funding formula, including the formula for two year olds. It also includes the early years pupil premium from 2016-2017.

Section 251 outturn statement

Each August we submit our section 251 outturn statement to the secretary of state for education. It contains financial information about how much we have spent on -

• our schools budget
• de-delegated items
• our high needs budget
• central provision within the schools budget and children and young people’s services

The section 251 outturn statement is intended to inform -

• schools, parents and others with an interest in education and children’s services of schools and local authority funding and expenditure
• the treasury for monitoring purposes
• parliament in its role of monitoring the department’s accountability for public funds (MPs ask about school and local authority expenditure via parliamentary questions or the education select committee)

Part one - Local authority level and high needs information

This is information at local authority (LA) level that provides an overall picture of the expenditure on schools and the amount being spent on education centrally.

Part two - Childrens and young people’s services

This document relates to the expenditure on children and young people’s services including -

• Sure Start children's centres and early years
• children looked after
• other children and family services safeguarding children and young people’s services
• family support services
• services for young people and youth justice