£400m for schools to buy "the little extras they need"
Chancellor Philip Hammond has announced a one-off capital grant to schools during delivery of his Autumn Budget speech today, 29 October.
Hammond said he will give schools a £400m "in year bonus to help our schools buy the little extras they need."
It will be a "one-off capital payment to schools averaging £10k per primary school and £50k per secondary."
The hash tag "littleextras" began trending on social media, with many parents, teachers and industry professionals crticising the choice of language as "patronising".
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "While we welcome any increased investment in schools, the £400m 'bonus' announced today hardly scratches the surface of what is needed."
School leaders' union NAHT said: "This is a Budget that will infuriate school leaders. Schools and young people are most definitely much too far down the government's list of priorities."
Latest News
27/04/2026 - 09:45
Forty-four per cent of education professionals are unfamiliar with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, otherwise known as Martyn’s Law, according to new research.
24/04/2026 - 12:32
A survey by Save My Exams has found that 40% of students are regularly disrupted by noise at home.
23/04/2026 - 10:13
A survey of 1,105 teachers reveals many senior leaders reporting cuts to teaching assistants (71%), support staff (49%) and teaching staff (30%).
23/04/2026 - 09:30
A report from the Digital Poverty Alliance show that while digital tools are now embedded across school routines, access and usability remain deeply uneven.
22/04/2026 - 09:28
School food improvement programme Nourish is set to launch in Cumberland in 2026, working with schools to improve the quality and culture of food throughout the school day
