Pupils in the North losing out on hundreds of pounds of funding compared to London, says report

Children in the capital received almost 10 per cent more funding than their Northern counterparts over 10 years, research conducted by academics on behalf of the Child of the North All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) revealed.

The cross-party group of MPs warned that “inequalities have accelerated” and children in the North are achieving worse results in school and their attendance is poorer, adding: “This is bad for the UK economy and creates a timebomb for the NHS, social care, and criminal justice system.”

Kim Johnson, vice-chair of the APPG, and several of her Labour colleagues said the National Funding Formula (NFF) for schools must be overhauled to address the imbalance and “tackle the deep-rooted inequalities that have created such disparity”.

“If children are to have the best possible start in life, we need a Government prepared to properly invest in our public services and our communities with a commitment to tackle regional inequality as a key priority,” she said.

“Your birthplace should never be a barrier to accessing opportunity, but at the moment for children across the North, as this report identifies, all too often where you come from defines how far you will go."

The analysis shows schools in London received an average of £6,610 per pupil – more than schools in Yorkshire (£5,938), the North East (£6,225) and the North West (£5,956).

The academics who carried out the research also found pupils in the capitals achieved higher grades on average than their Northern counterparts and their attendance was better.

Children were more likely to be persistently absent in the North East (25.6 per cent) and Yorkshire (24.5 per cent), compared to Outer London (23.1 per cent) and Inner London (23.8 per cent).

The APPG’s report stated: “Educational funding for the North of England has lagged behind the rest of the UK over the past decade.

“Meanwhile, North-South inequalities have accelerated through the cost-of-living crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic. It is therefore unsurprising that educational attainment in the North of England is poorer than the rest of the country.

“Children in North of England schools are more likely to be absent, often because of physical and mental health problems, than children in South of England schools."

The report makes a number of recommendations, calling on the Government to alter the NFF so schools struggling with a greater “health burden” – where higher numbers of children are absent with health problems – or low attainment rates receive more funding.

The APPG also said secondary schools in the most deprived areas should receive extra financial support and steps must be taken to “tackle the digital divide” and ensure all children have access to the equipment they need to learn.

Former Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield, who wrote the report Foreword, said: “The link between health inequalities and educational attainment is undeniable. This report provides evidence-based recommendations offering political parties a route map for action.

“The costs of inaction during childhood are far too high for individuals, families, and society. The time to reverse the tide of growing inequality is upon us.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Before the pandemic, the disadvantage gap dropped by nine per cent between 2011 and 2019. To support education recovery we are providing £5bn in extra support for millions of students, including £1.5bn for tutoring.”