A report gave the first official estimate for 2008 of changes in the productivity of publicly funded education services. Overall productivity was the same in 2008 as in 1996. From 1996 to 2000 productivity had grown by 8.1 per cent: but from 2000 to 2005 it had fallen by 6.8 per cent – resulting from a steady rise in the number of pupils attending school being outstripped by a sharp rise in 'inputs' (mainly through the employment of more school support staff). Two supporting technical papers were published at the same time.
Source: Daniel Ayoubkhani, Fraser Munro and Richard Wild, Public Service Output, Input and Productivity: Education, UK Centre for the Measurement of Government Activity/Office for National Statistics | Daniel Ayoubkhani, Fraser Munro and Richard Wild, Public Service Output, Input and Productivity: Education Triangulation, UK Centre for the Measurement of Government Activity | Daniel Ayoubkhani, Fraser Munro and Richard Wild, Public Service Output, Input and Productivity: Extended Analysis of Output, UK Centre for the Measurement of Government Activity
Links: Report | Triangulation paper | Extended analysis paper | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Dec
A government minister said that he planned to cut education spending by 5 per cent (£2 billion) by 2011; and warned that to do this up to 3,000 senior positions, including head teachers and deputies, could be axed.
Source: Interview with Ed Balls MP (Secretary of State for Education, Schools and Families), Sunday Times 20 September 2009
Links: Text of interview | NASUWT press release | Voice press release | Personnel Today report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Sep
A report said that high public spending on child welfare and education in the United Kingdom was failing to produce results in many key areas. To give every child the chance of a better future, the government should continue to spend more on younger children, and target spending on older children more effectively.
Source: Doing Better for Children, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (+33 1 4524 8200)
Links: UK summary | OECD press release | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Sep
The government announced that it was setting up a £200 million fund to build permanent classrooms for reception pupils over the following two years in areas facing exceptional growth in demand.
Source: Press release 15 July 2009, Department for Children, Schools and Families (0870 000 2288)
Links: DCSF press release | LGA press release | London Councils press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Jul
A think-tank report said that the £55 billion Building Schools for the Future programme, designed to rebuild the entire secondary school estate, had failed in its mission to 'transform education'. The programme should be radically simplified, and the quango that delivered this project – Partnerships for Schools – should have its remit curtailed.
Source: Katherine Quarmby and Anna Fazackerley, Building Blocks: An investigation into Building Schools for the Future, Policy Exchange (020 7340 2650)
Links: Report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Jul
A report by a committee of MPs said that the government had been over-optimistic in its original planning assumptions for the 'Building Schools for the Future' programme (designed to renew the physical structure of every secondary school in England), creating expectations for the speed of delivery that could not be met. It was 'too early' to conclude whether BSF would achieve its educational objectives.
Source: Building Schools for the Future: Renewing the secondary school estate, Twenty-seventh Report (Session 2008-09), HC 274, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Telegraph report | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2009-Jun
An audit report said that schools in England could save £400 million a year if they improved procurement practices. Schools were also holding cash reserves of nearly £2 billion: almost 2 out of 5 schools held more than the recommended amount, and these excessive balances totalled over £500 million.
Source: Valuable Lessons: Improving economy and efficiency in schools, Audit Commission (0800 502030)
Links: Report | Audit Commission press release | Guardian report | BBC report | Local Government Chronicle report
Date: 2009-Jun
An audit report said that the Department for Children, Schools and Families had made progress in improving its financial management: but there was a need for better strategic management of its large capital programme, and to encourage better financial management in schools.
Source: Financial Management in the Department for Children, Schools and Families, HC 267 (Session 2008-09), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Summary | NAO press release | ATL press release | BBC report | Telegraph report
Date: 2009-Apr
The report of an independent review said that the collapse of a multi-million pound scheme to rebuild further education colleges in England was 'predictable and avoidable', and the result of poor management at the Learning and Skills Council.
Source: Andrew Foster, A Review of the Capital Programme in Further Education, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (020 7215 5555)
Links: Report | Review press release | Hansard | DIUS press release | LSC press release | AOC press release | UCU press release | Conservative Party press release | BBC report | FT report
Date: 2009-Apr
The government responded to a report by a committee of MPs on its spending plans for schools. It said that it remained committed to its aims for the 'Building Schools for the Future' capital programme.
Source: Public Expenditure: Government Response to the Committee's First Report, Second Special Report (Session 2008-09), HC 405, House of Commons Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Response | MPs report
Date: 2009-Apr
An audit report examined the programme designed to rebuild, refurbish, and provide new information technology for, all 3,500 secondary schools in England by 2020. It said that the government had underestimated how long it would take to deliver the programme, although the speed of delivery had compared well with previous school building programmes.
Source: The Building Schools for the Future Programme: Renewing the secondary school estate, HC 135 (Session 2008-09), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Summary | NAO press release | DCSF press release | CBI press release | TSN press release | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2009-Feb
A report by a committee of MPs said that serious economic problems could undermine investment in education and related services, such as the Building Schools for the Future programme.
Source: Public Expenditure, First Report (Session 2008-09), HC 46, House of Commons Children, Schools and Families Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | NUT press release | ATL press release | Telegraph report | Guardian report | FT report
Date: 2009-Jan
