Delayed indicative funding allocations for schools will be published “shortly”, the education secretary has said, partly blaming June’s spending review for the hold-up.
Bridget Phillipson said the Department for Education had received “a number of requests for clarification” on when it would release provisional national funding formula guidance and allocations for mainstream schools and councils for 2026-27.
For many years, this information was released in July. Last year’s publication was delayed until the end of November because of the election and then Labour’s first autumn budget.
This year, the government is partly blaming the June spending review for the hold-up.
In a written statement, Phillipson said the information had been delayed “from the usual timetable due to the timing of the spending review, and the need to ensure that rigorous quality assurance processes have been completed in full”.
She added that finalisation of the national funding formulae is being “pursued as a matter of urgency”.
“Our priority will be to publish in the schools NFF shortly, in order to allow local authorities to proceed with preparation of their local schools formulae.”
Julia Harnden, deputy director of policy at the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “The delay is disappointing as schools need this information to plan next year’s budget, which for LA maintained schools starts in April.
“We hope that the provisional funding allocations will be published as soon as possible, and that the government will commit to returning to a July timetable going forward.”
The spending review confirmed per-pupil funding would rise by around 1 per cent in real terms each year.
In 2023, the DfE officials made an error in school funding allocations, which meant schools had £370 million less than promised.
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