PUPILS in Westmorland and Furness will receive more funding this academic year, new figures show.

Department for Education figures show schools in Westmorland and Furness will have an average budget of £5,881 per pupil in the 2024-25 financial year – an increase of 11 per cent from £5,298 the previous year.

Schools are funded by the Dedicated Schools Grant which is separate from the wider council budget. 

In the council area, £860,000 is allocated to special education needs support – up from £800,000 the previous year.

In total, Westmorland and Furness schools will receive a budget of £186.2 million for this year.

The Association of School and College Leaders raised concerns that many schools across England are still being forced to reduce staffing and cut provisions to balance their budgets, due to inflationary pressures. 

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Departmental expenditure limits for 2025-26 are to be set alongside the Budget on 30 October – and that will include setting the overall level of funding for schools next year.

"Measures such as ending tax breaks on private schools will raise revenue for essential public services, so that every child has access to high-quality education."