Cash boost for English schools to be 'swallowed up' amid rising costs

Schools in England are to get a multi-billion pound injection of funding, with extra money for children with special educational needs, but experts say it will be rapidly "swallowed up" by rising costs and much more will be needed after years of underinvestment.

- Sally Weale

Among a raft of measures designed to show the government's commitment to education, the chancellor of the exchequer Rachel Reeves announced £6.7bn in capital investment for next year, which she said was a 19% real terms increase on this year's settlement.

Of that, £1.4bn will go towards the schools rebuilding programme, a rise of £550m on this year, £2.1bn will go towards school repairs, including buildings blighted by crumbling Raac concrete, and £15m to begin delivery of the 3,000 new or expanded nurseries in primary schools.

School leaders also welcomed a £2.3bn increase in core funding for schools, including a much-needed £1bn boost for special needs. Experts warned however the additional investment is likely to be used mainly to plug existing deficits while the special needs system would remain in "a perilous state".