small schools | Schools Week

How the MAT era is squeezing out small schools

Small schools are the ‘beating heart’ of their community, but their numbers have been falling. Jessica Hill investigates how the push for an all-multi academy trust sector could hasten their decline Small schools can be the last bastion of a sense of place in communities that have lost their local pub, post office, doctor’s surgery […]

National funding formula: DfE proposes changes to ‘sparsity factor’ for small remote schools

Hundreds more small remote schools could be eligible for extra cash under government proposals to change the national funding formula. But the money to fund the rise will be diverted from elsewhere in the overall schools budget. A consultation on changes to the “sparsity factor” in the national funding formula from 2022-23 has been published […]

Small schools should keep meals subsidy until national funding formula comes in

After a leaked report revealed the DfE knew small schools needed extra funds to provide free meals – yet still ended their subsidy – Barbara Taylor issues a fair-funding challenge to government Following a successful initiative giving free fruit to infants, the concept of free infant school meals, providing healthy, nourishing food at lunchtime, was […]