Raise the Rate

The sixth form funding rate has remained frozen at £4,000 per student, per year since 2013/14. This rate is below the funding given to 11-16s, and is insufficient to deliver high-quality 16-18 education. It's time to Raise the Rate.

Background

Education funding for 16 to 18 year olds has been cut sharply since 2010. During that time, costs have risen significantly, the needs of students have become more complex and the government has demanded much more of colleges and schools. However, the national funding rate (‘the rate’) for 16 and 17 year olds was frozen at £4,000 per student, per year in 2013 (and was reduced to £3,300 per year for 18 year olds in 2014).

The sustained underinvestment in sixth form funding over the past decade continues to have a negative impact on the education of students, the financial health of colleges and schools, and the ability of government to achieve its ambitions for the economy and social mobility. The funding impact survey carried out by the Raise the Rate campaign in 2019 showed that as a result of funding pressures:

• 51% of schools and colleges have dropped courses in modern foreign languages
• 38% have dropped STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) courses 
• 78% have reduced student support services or extra-curricular activities – with significant cuts to mental health support, employability skills and careers advice
• 81% are teaching students in larger class sizes

In the September 2019 spending round, the government announced that it would raise the rate to £4,188 per student from 2020/21. This is a welcome step in the right direction, but research from London Economics indicates that £760 per student is the minimum level of additional funding required to increase student support services to the required level (e.g. mental health support), protect minority subjects that are at risk of being dropped (e.g. modern foreign languages), and increase non-qualification time (e.g. extra-curricular activities, work experience). The cross-party Education Select Committee has also called for “a post-16 core funding rate raise from £4,000 to at least £4,760 per student, rising in line with inflation.”

The House of Commons produces and regularly updates a briefing explaining changes to funding over the years, which sets out clearly how costs have increased and available funds have diminished.

Campaign

The Raise the Rate campaign (which is backed by the associations that represent schools, colleges, teachers, support staff, students and governors in England) would like to see the government make a clear commitment to increase the funding rate for 16, 17 and 18 year olds to at least £4,760 per student from 2021/22, accompanied by an annual rise in line with inflation. This should be in addition to, rather than instead of, a long term commitment to maintain the teachers’ pension grant and funding for high value/high cost subjects.

Get involved

We need the support of school and college leaders, governors, students, parents, teachers and support staff to make the campaign a success.  There are lots of ways to get involved, for example:

• Write to your local MP to secure their support for the campaign (a full list of MPs is here)
• Invite local MPs to your school or college
• Schools and college leaders can write to parents to secure their support for the campaign 
• Tweet support using the campaign infographics and hashtag #raisetherate
• Take photographs using the campaign poster and share on social media

A one page summary of the campaign can be found here. More information, infographics and template letters can be found on the campaign website raisetherate.org.uk #RaisetheRate

Member activity

Videos and blogs

Videos

• Henley College students interview Alok Sharma MP on funding
• Diana Johnson MP visits Wyke College, discusses Raise the Rate campaign
• Shadow Ed Minister Mike Kane endorses Raise the Rate campaign
• Sixth Form Colleges APPG vice chair Caroline Lucas speaks about cuts
• Daniel Zeichner MP talks about cuts and the Raise the Rate campaign
• Gareth Snell MP tells the government to 'get a grip' and Raise the Rate
• Yvonne Forvague MP calls on the government to Raise the Rate
• Nic Dakin MP makes the case to Raise the Rate and invest properly in sixth form education

Blogs

• Blog on the Raise the Rate Campaign by Tom Fellows, Senior Research Lead, NGA
• SSAT blog on Raise the Rate Campaign

Campaign in the news

FE white paper: What do sector leaders want it to say? Tes

We need more funds, say sixth-form heads, The Times

Covid catch-up funds won't reach all who need support, Tes

'Support for 16-18 is more important than FE reform', Tes

Halfon: FE must recognise ‘step forward’ in funding even if it’s not a ‘giant leap’ , FE Week

Sector leaders hit back at Ofsted for ‘encouraging government’ to restrict funding choices, FE Week

Williamson pledges to work ‘hand in glove’ with sector to argue for more funding, FE Week

Partner activity

Parliamentary activity

Campaign in the News 2019

Campaign in the News 2018