§ Angela WatkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average Education Funding Spending Share per(a) primary pupil and 853W (b) secondary pupil is in London; and which London borough will receive the lowest EFSS per pupil in 2003–04. [100221]
§ Mr. MilibandIn London, the average education formula spending share per primary pupil in 2003–04 is £2,733 and per secondary pupil is £3,470.
Havering has the lowest EFSS per pupil in London. The main reason for this is that Havering benefits less overall than other London authorities from the top-ups in the funding formula to reflect the additional costs of educating deprived pupils, and the additional costs of recruiting and retaining staff in high-cost areas.
That is because, in London, only Richmond upon Thames has a lower proportion of deprived pupils than Havering. But Richmond upon Thames benefits more from the factor in the formula for area costs. The area cost adjustment for outer London authorities is split into east and west: wages in west London are generally higher than in east London so the ACA for west London is higher. Richmond upon Thames receives the (higher) ACA for outer London authorities in the west, and Havering receives the (lower) ACA for those in the east. The net effect is that Havering has a lower EFSS per pupil than Richmond upon Thames, and other London authorities.