Standards fund
Main text
Legislation
Key documents
Checklist
Further information
The Standards Fund is a programme of specific grants which enables schools and LEAs to achieve improvements in education standards set out in targets agreed between them. It includes such programmes as the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and Excellence in Cities, as well as support for devolved capital spending by schools.
The grants are paid to LEAs who are required to devolve most of the money to their schools. For some grants LEAs have to make a contribution (50 percent in 2003/04), other grants require no additional funding from the LEA.
A DfES Standards Fund document, giving details of the new programme for the following year, is issued annually, usually each September. Since 2001/02 schools have gained considerable freedom to move their Standards Fund money between the different grants, so they can best match their spending to their individual priorities. Other changes to the Standards Fund are designed to reduce bureaucracy and improve flexibility, including the removal of the requirement for specific auditing of Standards Fund grants and the freedom to spend Standards Fund money over 17 months up to the end of the academic year (for example, schools will have until the end of August 2004 to spend the Standards Fund money granted to them for 2003 to 2004).
LEAs should inform their schools of the Standards Fund grants to be devolved to them alongside information on the rest of the budget.
Main text
Legislation
Key documents
Checklist
Further information
