A Freedom of Information (FOI) request submitted to all LEAs in England found that 73 per cent of those who responded reported an underspend for 2019/20 - just before the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK. Some 93 LEAs out of 152 responded to the request.
The reported underspend amounted to a total of around £55.5m, the NDNA said.
Just one fifth of councils gave any of their underspent funding, for three and four-year-old places, back to providers, a new report shows.
Almost half of LEAs who had underspent their funding said they rolled it forwards into their reserves and a quarter reported utilising them to offset deficits elsewhere within their schools budget.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
