Treasury takes back £384m earmarked for academy conversion plan
The Treasury has taken back £384m originally earmarked for schools in England. The money had been announced last year to fund a plan to require all schools to become academies.
The Department for Education has stated that when the compulsory academy plan was ditched after a rebellion by backbench Conservative MPs, the Treasury took back most of this extra funding.
The Department for Education said the return of funds was appropriate if a project did not go ahead.
According to the BBC, head teachers in West Sussex, who are campaigning against spending cuts, wrote last week to all their local MPs asking what had happened to the extra £500m for schools announced last year by the former Chancellor George Osborne.
Read moreLatest News
08/01/2026 - 10:30
The government is launching a new app allowing students to view their GCSE results on their phones for the first time from this summer.
08/01/2026 - 09:45
Education Business LIVE has announced that Professor Samantha Twiselton OBE of Sheffield Hallam University will speak at the event in March 2026, delivering two thought-provoking sessions focused on initial teacher training and SEND provision.
07/01/2026 - 10:10
Solve for Tomorrow is a free, curriculum-linked programme which is mapped to Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5, and 6, helping teachers embed careers education without adding to workload.
06/01/2026 - 10:24
London's universal free school meals programme has not led to improvements in pupil attainment during its first year, but has eased financial pressure and reduced stress for families.
05/01/2026 - 10:44
New regulations have come into force from today, banning adverts for unhealthy food and drinks before 9pm, and online at all times.
