A decline in the number of school-age children could lead to schools losing over £1bn in funding by 2030, education experts warn.
Pupil numbers in state-funded primary and secondary schools are projected to fall from over 7.5 million in 2022-23 to just over 7.1 million in 2028-29, according to a new report from the Education Policy Institute (EPI).
The decrease in the number of pupils could mean a reduction in school funding from £42.7bn in 2024-25 to £41.6bn by 2029-30, which would force schools to consider mergers, cost-cutting measures and closures to remain viable.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: ‘These figures are speculative, funding levels beyond 2024-25 have not yet been confirmed and are subject to future spending reviews. We are increasing school funding to £60.7bn next year.’
