Responding to new analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies which found that the 2.8% growth in mainstream per pupil funding due in 2025/26 would not cover an expected 3.6% rise in school costs, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“There is no doubt that school budgets remain under tremendous pressure. We know that some schools are facing real difficulties in making budgets add up and many school leaders - who have already cut operations to the bone - remain worried about the outlook for next year.

“It’s vital that this is recognised and addressed in the spending review if schools are to be spared further unpalatable decisions like cutting staff and curriculum resources which make it harder for them to offer children a first-rate education.

“We need to see real-terms growth in core funding, further investment in and reform of the broken special educational needs system, and a commitment to ensuring this year’s pay rise is above inflation and fully-funded amid a severe recruitment and retention crisis fuelled by years of real-terms cuts to salaries.”