EB / News / Building / £1.4 billion of funding pledged ahead of Budget
£1.4 billion of funding pledged ahead of Budget
EB News: 28/10/2024 - 10:48
The government has pledged £1.4 billion ahead of the autumn Budget to meet a target of rebuilding 50 schools in England a year.
They said improving opportunities for children and young people will be a key feature of the Chancellor’s first Budget.
The investment is hoped to rebuild school buildings, alongside funding for children’s social care, breakfast clubs and early years childcare reflect the government’s commitment to putting education back at the forefront of national life.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said: "This government’s first Budget will set out how we will fix the foundations of the country. It will mean tough decisions, but also the start of a new chapter for Britain, by growing our economy through investing in our future to rebuild our schools, hospitals and broken roads.
"Protecting funding for education was one of the things I wanted to do first because our children are the future of this country. We might have inherited a mess, but they should not suffer for it.
Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson said: "This is a Budget about fixing the foundations of the country, so there can be no better place to start than the life chances of our children and young people.
"Our inheritance may be dire, but I will never accept that any child should learn in a crumbling classroom."
To support parents, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, the government also confirmed it will triple its investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million to help ensure children are ready to learn at the start of the school day, and helping drive improvements to behaviour, attendance and attainment.
The Premier League has teamed up with the Anti-Bullying Alliance to launch a new set of free, curriculum-linked teaching resources for schools in support of Anti-Bullying Week 2024 (11 to 15 November).