Responding to the Department for Education's reannouncement of school funding pledged in the Autumn Statement, and plan to reform criteria for helping schools cope with the financial impact of falling rolls, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“This is simply a re-announcement of funding that has already been promised to the sector. No-one should be fooled into thinking that this is new money.

"Even with this funding, there is clear evidence that schools will continue to have make cuts in the face of rapidly rising costs.

“The reforms around funding for schools with falling numbers are welcome. But this remains a relatively minor tweak that won’t address the more fundamental funding challenges schools are currently facing.”