7. SPENDING
7.1 For the last financial period schools spending on their
libraries was:
Figure 20 Range of actual spending (£) for
last financial year
7.2 This gives an average of approximately £10.16 per
pupil; the median is £3.75. If spending in excess of £25 per pupil is removed from the
calculation then the spending per pupil was £4.75. The large difference between the mean
and median demonstrates the dramatic effect that some high spending schools can have on
the average.
7.3 Considering spending in the last financial year across
countries, we see that in English schools the spending was higher than in other countries;
Welsh school libraries not doing too well.
Table 7.3 Spending per pupil (last financial year) by
country
Spending |
Wales |
England |
N. Ireland |
Scotland |
All |
less than £1 |
14.5 |
3.5 |
5.6 |
4.8 |
4.7 |
£1 up to £2 |
28.9 |
12.0 |
28.1 |
18.5 |
15.9 |
£2 up to £3 |
17.1 |
15.5 |
18.0 |
17.8 |
16.0 |
£3 up to £4 |
15.8 |
15.5 |
13.5 |
22.6 |
16.6 |
£4 up to £5 |
1.3 |
12.1 |
12.4 |
9.6 |
11.0 |
£5 up to £10 |
13.2 |
26.2 |
12.4 |
18.5 |
22.7 |
£10 plus |
9.2 |
15.2 |
10.1 |
8.2 |
13.1 |
7.4 As can be seen (Table 7.4), LEA spending was quite low;
grant maintained schools spent more, as did independents (especially over £10 per pupil).
The specialist requirements for special schools raises the spending per pupil; the figures
for City Technology Colleges (CTC's) should be viewed with care since there are only 8 in
the sample.
Table 7.4 Distribution of spending per pupil by sector
Spending |
LEA |
Special |
Grant |
CTC |
Independent |
All |
less than £1 |
6.3 |
2.9 |
2.4 |
0 |
1.9 |
4.7 |
£1 up to £2 |
21.2 |
7.1 |
7.2 |
0 |
6.6 |
15.9 |
£2 up to £3 |
20.1 |
11.4 |
13.8 |
25.0 |
0.9 |
16.0 |
£3 up to £4 |
19.5 |
4.3 |
19.2 |
12.5 |
6.6 |
16.6 |
£4 up to £5 |
10.0 |
4.3 |
19.8 |
0 |
7.5 |
11.0 |
£5 up to £10
|
17.1 |
22.9 |
30.5 |
37.5 |
40.6 |
22.7 |
£10 plus |
5.8 |
47.1 |
7.2 |
25.0 |
35.8 |
13.1 |
7.5 Now if we consider differences between type of school
for the last financial year spending per pupil (%), see Table 7.5 below, there are some
differences, but the profiles are similar in the main. 'Other' schools tend to spend much
more per pupil than the other schools but , then, the composition of special and
independent schools might explain this feature.
Table 7.5 Spending per pupil (last financial year) by
type of school
Spending |
11 to 16 |
12 to 17 |
11 to 18 |
Other |
All |
less than £1 |
5.8 |
9.1 |
4.7 |
2.7 |
4.7 |
£1 up to £2 |
16.3 |
18.2 |
17.0 |
11.3 |
15.9 |
£2 up to £3 |
18.6 |
27.3 |
16.0 |
11.3 |
16.0 |
£3 up to £4 |
15.1 |
13.6 |
19.5 |
8.7 |
16.6 |
£4 up to £5 |
10.5 |
13.6 |
11.2 |
10.0 |
11.0 |
£5 up to £10
|
24.4 |
13.6 |
20.7 |
27.3 |
22.7 |
£10 plus |
9.3 |
4.5 |
10.8 |
28.7 |
13.1 |
7.6 For the current financial period schools expected to
spend on their libraries:
Figure 21 Range of expected spending (£) for
current year
7.7 This gives an average of approximately £10.63 per
pupil; the median is £3.70. If spending in excess of £25 per pupil is removed from the
calculation then the expected spending per pupil was £4.97.
7.8 And if we consider differences between countries for
the current financial year spending per pupil (%), Table 7.8 below, a similar picture to
that for the last financial year emerges.
Table 7.8 Spending per pupil (current financial year) by
country
Spending |
Wales |
England |
N. Ireland |
Scotland |
All |
less than £1 |
8.2 |
4.8 |
13.1 |
4.7 |
5.8 |
£1 up to £2 |
31.1 |
10.8 |
26.2 |
17.1 |
14.8 |
£2 up to £3 |
18.0 |
16.0 |
22.6 |
18.6 |
17.1 |
£3 up to £4 |
18.0 |
14.0 |
15.5 |
18.6 |
15.2 |
£4 up to £5 |
8.2 |
11.2 |
7.1 |
13.2 |
11.0 |
£5 up to £10
|
8.2 |
27.1 |
9.5 |
18.6 |
22.7 |
£10 plus |
8.2 |
16.1 |
6.0 |
9.3 |
13.5 |
7.9 The expected spending for the current financial year is
similar to that for the last financial year, comparing sectors.
Table 7.9 Expected spending per pupil by sector
Spending |
LEA |
Special |
Grant |
CTC |
Independent |
All |
less than £1 |
6.7 |
4.4 |
4.6 |
12.5 |
0 |
5.8 |
£1 up to £2 |
19.3 |
13.2 |
8.6 |
0 |
4.9 |
14.8 |
£2 up to £3 |
22.1 |
5.9 |
11.2 |
0 |
8.8 |
17.1 |
£3 up to £4 |
17.7 |
1.5 |
19.7 |
37.5 |
4.9 |
15.2 |
£4 up to £5 |
11.3 |
5.9 |
17.8 |
0 |
4.9 |
11.0 |
£5 up to £10
|
16.9 |
33.8 |
28.9 |
12.5 |
38.2 |
22.7 |
£10 plus |
6.1 |
35.3 |
9.2 |
37.5 |
38.2 |
13.5 |
7.10 And if we consider differences between type of school
for the current financial year spending per pupil (%), a very similar pattern for the
current financial year, compared with the last financial year, emerges.
Table 7.10 Spending per pupil (current financial year)
by type of school
Spending |
11 to 16 |
12 to 17 |
11 to 18 |
Other |
All |
less than £1 |
7.6 |
4.5 |
6.1 |
2.7 |
5.8 |
£1 up to £2 |
13.8 |
13.6 |
15.7 |
13.6 |
14.8 |
£2 up to £3 |
20.5 |
36.4 |
16.2 |
12.2 |
17.1 |
£3 up to £4 |
13.8 |
13.6 |
18.9 |
6.1 |
15.2 |
£4 up to £5 |
11.6 |
13.6 |
10.3 |
10.9 |
11.0 |
£5 up to £10
|
22.3 |
13.6 |
21.1 |
29.3 |
22.7 |
£10 plus |
10.3 |
4.5 |
11.7 |
25.2 |
13.5 |
Comparing last year's spending with the current year
7.11 The figures are generally stable over the two periods.
7.12 While, again, the figures are relatively stable,
Northern Ireland schools appear to anticipate a drop in spending between the two periods.
7.13 The average spent per school in the last financial
year was £3631 with a median of £2750. The figures for the current financial year are
£3678 and £2800 respectively.
7.14 These figures suggest a small increase, year on year;
however if the difference between years is calculated for each school the average
difference is a drop of about £63 and a median of zero. These all go to imply a pegging
of funding with an inflationary drop (real terms).
7.15 Across all schools, the library was funded entirely
through the school budget in 57% of cases.
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