Schools in Blackburn with Darwen will get more money for their pupils in this academic year, figures show.

However, experts have warned many schools in England will still be left short of funds as the education system's budget increase has not kept up with inflation.

Department for Education figures show Blackburn with Darwen schools will have an average budget of £5,350 per pupil in the new 2023/24 academic year – an increase of 4.5 per cent from £5,119 the previous year.

It comes after the Government ordered an inquiry and the Department for Education apologised after it miscalculated its funding plans for the next academic year.

The DfE’s top official, permanent secretary Susan Acland-Hood, said in a letter to the Parliamentary Education Select Committee the number of pupils was underestimated, with a planned 2.7 per cent increase per pupil for 2024/25 subsequently revised to 1.9 per cent.

Although the money for 2024/25 has not yet been paid out, Ms Acland-Hood said the DfE “recognise that the correction of this error will be difficult for local authorities and frustrating for some school leaders”

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Councillor Julie Gunn, executive member for children, young people and education, said: “Despite the increase in funding we know that some schools in our borough are more adversely affected by rising costs and the way in which the grant funding is applied.

“The increase is welcome but needs to be considered in terms of the previous real term cuts to per pupil funding that have occurred, as well as the recent cost of living crisis and increased costs that schools face.

“All of these factors contribute significantly to a school's ability to resource itself.”

Inflation stood at 6.3 per cent in the 12 months to August. The Association of School and College Leaders expressed concerns the “financial situation will continue to be extremely challenging.”

Julia Harnden, funding specialist at the ASCL, said: “While school funding will increase by around 6.8 per cent in 2023-24, this is against a background of very high inflation – which peaked at 11.1 per cent last October on the Consumer Price Index measure – and cuts to real-term per-pupil funding of 9 per cent between 2010 and 2019.”

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Budgets varied widely across England, with schools in inner London having the most money allocated per child – £6,559, while those in the North West will only have an average budget of £5,288.

Joe Hallgarten, chief executive of the Centre for Education and Youth, said: “While many regional disparities in school spending need exploring and addressing, it is more urgent to ensure that those schools whose pupils face multiple disadvantages including poverty are provided with greater resources to recruit the best teachers and offer other support for their young people.”

In Blackburn with Darwen, schools will have a total budget of £194 million. Of this, £6.5 million is allocated to special education needs support, which includes services for visual, hearing and physical impairment, specific learning difficulties such as speech, language and communication, as well as severe learning difficulties and autism.

Another £5 million will go towards funding for high needs places, which enables those who due to exclusion, illness, or other reasons, cannot receive their education in mainstream schools, to fully participate in education and learning.

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The planned expenditure on SEND services for schools in England has increased by 5.9 per cent to £588 million this academic year.

Cllr Gunn continued: “In 2023/24 Blackburn with Darwen increased the funding for supporting children in schools with SEND and will continue to increase this in 2024/25.

“We ensure that all schools have access to a high quality SEND support service.”

Mr Hallgarten added: “Although local authority spending on SEND and inclusion is rising, resources are simply not keeping up with the growth in need and demand.

“Our whole system for supporting pupils with SEND and those who are at risk of exclusion needs serious, short- and long-term reform.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “School funding in England will be at its highest level in history reaching over £59.6 billion next year, as measured by the IFS.”