§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what steps he is taking to ensure that funding by local education authorities for schools through the local management scheme takes into account the actual salaries paid to teachers, rather than the average level of salary within that local authority area.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe central determinant of schools' funding under schemes of local management should be the numbers and ages of pupils. Pupils of the same age should therefore attract the same resources, including the same element for teaching costs, irrespective of which school they attend within the local authority area. It will be for governing bodies to manage their costs, including salaries, from within their budgets as derived on this basis. In practice, variations from average salary costs will be limited. My right hon. Friend has made clear that schools with fewer than 10 teachers, excluding the head teacher and deputy, may receive enhanced funding where they have above average salary costs.