Contents
Executive summary 6
1. Introduction 11
    1.1 Total spending on education 12
    1.2 Student numbers over time 14
    1.3 Methods and approach 18
2. Early years 20
    2.1 Spending on the free entitlement 21
    2.2 Distribution of spending across local authorities 27
    2.3 Future changes and challenges in the early years 34
    2.4 Summary 39
3. Schools 40
    3.1 Total school spending per pupil 41
    3.2 Average spending by primary and secondary schools 45
    3.3 Growth in school costs 47
    3.4 Future spending pressures 49
    3.5 School capital spending 51
    3.6 Concluding summary 54
4. Further education and skills 55
    4.1 16–18 education 55
    4.2 Adult education and skills 63
    4.3 Concluding summary 70
5. Higher education 71
    5.1 The unfreezing of tuition fees 71
    5.2 University finances 76
    5.3 Support for living costs 81
    5.4 Student loans 84
    5.5 Summary 87
6. Comparisons 88
7. Conclusion 92
References 94