Northern schools are losing out on hundreds of pounds of funding per pupil compared to those in London, according to a new report released this week and risks widening regional childhood inequalities
Over the last 10 years, ongoing inequalities in funding have meant schools in the North of England have received less money from the National Funding Formula (NFF) on average than their southern counterparts.
The new analysis, by academics from the Child of the North group – a partnership between Health Equity North and N8 Research Partnership – on behalf of the Child of the North All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), found that on average pupils in London received 9.7% more funding than those in the North.
Schools in London received an average of £6,610 per pupil compared to £6,225, £5,956, and £5,938 in the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and The Humber, respectively.
Children in the most affluent schools in the country had bigger real terms increases in funding than those in the most deprived ones, despite the increased burden placed on these schools due to wider societal issues that impact the families they serve.
This inequity corresponds with children in the North having higher school absences, including health and mental health absences, and educational performance is poorer.
The Child of the North: Addressing Education and Health Inequity report also highlights that children born into the poorest fifth of families in the UK are almost 13 times more likely to experience poor health and educational outcomes by the age of 17.
This poses a risk for public services in future years, as the long-term consequences of poor education can not only impact physical and mental health, but can also place great pressure on the NHS, social care, and criminal justice system in future.
It has prompted rallying calls for immediate action to address the imbalance from northern MPs and academics, who have set out a suite of recommendations to help level the funding playing field.
The Child of the North APPG members and report authors are calling for an overhaul of the current school funding formula, so it takes into consideration attainment inequalities and the health burden borne by schools, to prevent these disparities continuing to increase.
The report also illustrates how public services in the North of England have come together to create innovative approaches that bring health and education together to deal with the poor outcomes faced by children and young people.
Mary Robinson MP for Cheadle and Co-Chair of the Child of the North APPG, said:
“The formative years of childhood have a lifelong impact and can set the tone for the rest of their lives. This report highlights yet again how crucial it is that children and young people across the North have every opportunity to reach their full potential, and for this to happen there needs to be a clear and defined focus on addressing the ingrained inequalities faced in the North. The findings and recommendations in the report provide a clear way forward, putting children front and centre.”
Professor Mark Mon-Williams from the University of Leeds who co-authored the report, said:
“Schools in the North of England are serving disproportionate numbers of children growing up in disadvantaged circumstances, but with the right support these children can thrive in school. The current funding formula used by Government doesn’t go far enough in recognising the wider challenges faced by schools and nurseries in disadvantaged areas, such as the physical and mental health of children and their families.
“As this report shows, there are many examples of local initiatives across the North that are working to address educational inequalities in their communities, but the responsibility for creating a fairer future for children across the country needs to be shared across the whole system. We hope that government act on the evidence and the recommendations set out in this report.”
