Ahead of a white paper on educational improvements expected from Education Secretary Nicky Morgan any day, this month’s budget announcements signalled further steps by the government to devolve power to school leaders.  Key points for education from the budget speech include:

• National school funding formula: The budget aims to accelerate the move to fairer funding for schools. The current system will be replaced by the first National Funding Formula for schools from 2017-18. Subject to consultation, the government’s aim is for 90% of schools who gain additional funding to receive the full amount they are due by 2020. To enable this, the Government will provide around £500 million of additional core funding to schools over the course of this Spending Review.
• Academisation: The Government expects all schools to become academies by 2020, or to have an academy order in place to convert by 2022.
• Northern schools: The Budget sets out investment of £20 million a year in a Northern Powerhouse Schools Strategy. This will seek to tackle educational progress in the North compared with the rest of the country. In support of this, Sir Nick Weller will lead a report into transforming education across the Northern Powerhouse. More funding will see the best academy chains expand and new sponsors developed in the North, whilst the creation of a new Northern centre of the New Schools Network will encourage more free schools in the region. The Government also plans to look at further ways to get and retain the best teachers in the area.
• Teaching maths up to 18: The Government will ask Professor Sir Adrian Smith to review the case for how to improve the study of maths from 16 to 18, including looking at the case for more or all students continuing to study maths to 18 in the longer-term. The review will report during 2016.
• Soft drinks industry levy: Revenue from a newly announced levy will be used to double primary school PE. It will also provide up to £285 million a year to give 25% of secondary schools increased opportunity to extend their school day to offer a wider range of activities for pupils, including more sport, and £10 million a year to expand breakfast clubs starting from September 2017.
• Higher education: The government will continue to free up student number controls for alternative providers. Doctoral and Master’s loans will be extended.
• Lifetime learning: The government will review gaps in support for lifetime learning, including for flexible and part-time study, and bring together information about the wages of graduates of different courses and financial support for further and higher education to ensure people can make informed decisions.