The majority of local government revenue funding is provided by the Welsh Government through the Rate Support Grant (RSG). Local government also receives funding through a wide range of specific grants that are in the main service related. Local government funding is supplemented by revenue raised by individual authorities through the Council Tax.
The funding of local authority education services and schools is set within this context with the core funding for pre-16 education being provided through the RSG and post-16 training and learning, various national strategies and other policy initiatives being funded through specific grants. Approximately 11% of funding for education in Wales comes from specific grants.
- The total gross schools expenditure in Wales (that’s funding that includes expenditure from specific grants) is budgeted at £2,462 million for 2010/11
- The gross expenditure per pupil in 2010/11 is £5,418. This is compared with an overall budget per pupil in England of £5,956.
Local authorities delegate funding to schools from the overall budget based on a local allocation formula. On average 75% of the total gross budgeted expenditure is delegated directly to schools. The local authority retains some funding centrally to provide services for schools that range from provision of school meals and transport, to special educational needs, curriculum support for schools and functions such at payroll and human resources.
All statistical information on this page has been provided by Statistics for Wales
For more information contact: Mari Thomas