Department for Education spending on advertising and marketing has increased by £15 million in just one year, it has revealed.
The rise has been described as “a slap in the face” for families.
The department’s advertising and marketing soared from £34.6 million in 2022-23 to £49.8 million in 2024-25, minister Olivia Bailey revealed in response to a parliamentary question. This marks a rise of more than 40 per cent.
Bailey said that paid marketing “directly supports operational delivery by helping to recruit more school and college teachers and early years staff”.
She said it also helps to ensure that parents are aware of available support and encourages take-up of government-funded technical qualifications and training.
‘Self-promotion’
But Munira Wilson MP, the Liberal Democrats’ education, children and families spokesperson, criticised the sum.
She raised it in a children’s wellbeing and schools bill debate in the House of Commons on Monday, while discussing a Lib Dem amendment on the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF), which she described as “a lifeline for families”.
“A £15 million increase in DfE advertising is a slap in the face for families in crisis,” she later said in a statement.
“While individual adoption and special guardianship grants are being slashed for the most vulnerable children, the DfE is ramping up the spending on self-promotion.”
She accused the government of having its priorities “backwards”, adding: “It is indefensible to cut direct support for vulnerable children while finding millions more for marketing and glossy campaigns.”
Wilson called for the money to be “redirected”, saying: “The DfE could halve the advertising budget to reverse the cuts to the ASGSF grants, and finally give children and their carers the stability they deserve.”
Shifting media landscape
The DfE was approached for comment but had not responded when Schools Week went to press.
Bailey previously said that the rising spend “reflects the changing media landscape and high levels of media inflation”.
She added that paid-for advertising and marketing is subject to Cabinet Office spending controls, “which ensure taxpayer money is spent cost-effectively”.
“Where possible, activity is delivered in-house as part of cross-government campaigns or at low cost through partner coordination.”
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