Budget 2021: What it means for education
As the UK looks ahead to a brighter future, the Chancellor has revealed the 2021 budget and how he plans to support schools, colleges, and further education establishments and help all pupils catch up on lost learning as a result of the pandemic.
I’ve read through the official budget 2021 document and pulled out all the important information you need to know about what it means for education. This will help you to make informed decisions that benefit your business and help you reach your marketing to education goals.
The education budget
| Education budget | Schools budget |
|---|---|
| 2020-21 education total funding – £74.1 billion. 2021-22 education total funding – £77.2 billion. An increase from 2020-21 of £3.1 billion. | 2020-21 schools total funding – £47.6 billion. 2021-22 schools total funding – £49.8 billion. An increase from 2020-21 of £2.2 billion. |
Budget breakdown
- Free school meals, for all infant pupils and other eligible pupils, are included as part of the £3 billion education funding announced last year for 2020-21 and 2021-22.
- Skills and training measures to help young people and adults get into work are included as part of the £3 billion education funding announced last year for 2020-21 and 2021-22.
- £700 million further funding has been announced to help young people catch up on lost learning as a result of Covid-19.
Covid-19 recovery
The new £700 million funding package includes:
- A one-off £300 million recovery premium for state primary and secondary schools.
- £200 million to expand tutoring programmes and deliver early language support.
- £200 million for secondary schools to deliver face-to-face summer schools.
What does this all mean?
The overall education budget has increased by 4.18% compared to last year, so schools have more money to support teachers and pupils. Plus, we also know that 75% of schools had to put spending plans on hold due to the pandemic*, so they’ll be looking to catch-up and restart their plans when the new budgets are delivered in April.
In order to do this, schools will spend their budget in a number of different ways – from catch up lessons and mental health services to after school clubs and daily running costs, plus much more.
*According to our 2021 Schools Survey.
How does this affect your business?
It reaffirms 2 important factors:
1. Education is still a priority for the government.
2. There are endless opportunities for education suppliers, just like you, to support schools.
As the government continues to prioritise education, there’s a substantial amount of money for schools to spend across all year groups and departments. If your business can support pupils, teachers and education staff, this is a great time to connect, or re-connect, with schools. The phased return of all pupils that has now started across the UK makes this ideal timing.
We suggest developing a long-term targeted and personalised marketing campaign letting teachers and decision makers know:
- Who you are.
- What your business does.
- Why your products or services are relevant to them.
- How they can benefit from them.
Need any help with your marketing strategy?
Whether you’re already marketing to schools or want to start connecting with them, our friendly team of education experts are ready and waiting to help you in any way they can.
Call us today on 01257 460036 or email us at info@buzz-education.com.
