Reverse £600 million reduction to education services grant, say councils

The £600 million reduction proposed to the Education Services Grant (ESG) should be reversed to maintain improvement capacity within the schools system, councils argue today. This will benefit both council-maintained schools and academies says the Local Government Association (LGA), which represents more than 370 councils in England and Wales. The LGA does not believe there is capacity within the system to withdraw funding and powers for councils to support school improvement and hold schools to account in August 2017 as currently planned by the Government. Support available through Teaching School Alliances, Multi-Academy Trusts and Regional Schools Commissioners is not yet geographically comprehensive and does not have the track record of success that council school improvement and oversight has. The LGA's submission to the Treasury ahead of the Autumn Statement expected on 23 November argues that in recent years approximately £815 million per year has been spent on the ESG for councils and academies.