Government cuts millions from 14 to 19 reform funding

Education Secretary Michael Gove wrote to all local authorities this week with further details on departmental savings. This included plans to reduce the 14 to 19 local delivery support grant by £13.2m. The grant exists to support local authorities in delivering the 14 to 19 reforms.

Gove revealed that the £25,000 specialist schools capital grant — to help schools improve facilities to specialise in a specific curriculum area — has been scrapped. Grants from the Teaching and Development Agency for workforce modernisation and training for support staff will also be "significantly reduced".

Other reductions include cutting extended services capital funding by £25m, leaving £21m. In addition, the letter confirmed the scrapping of free school meal pilots due to start in September, 0-7 Partnership and Buddying pilots, and £5m of cuts to the play strategy.

Revenue funding for the 122 playbuilder authorities tasked with building or redeveloping 22 play areas, has been scrapped. Revenue funding for the 30 pathfinder authorities tasked with building or developing 28 play areas and building an adventure playground has been halved. Gove said that there are no longer set expectations on how many play facilities are delivered locally, while Play England's role in monitoring and reporting on progress has been reduced.

He called on pathfinders to make the staffing of adventure playgrounds a priority for remaining funding and offered a final meeting of regional play networks organised by Play England, welcoming views on where the government can best focus future efforts in the "new financial climate".

"My priority for this year has to be to invest any savings available within my department's budget, after our contribution to deficit reduction, in measures that most directly affect attainment for the poorest pupils," Gove wrote. "I recognise that these changes will mean difficult decisions being taken at a local level, as we are having to do nationally."