Funding                                                                                                                                         

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in England, the National Assembly Training and Education Department (NATED) in Wales, the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED) in Scotland and the Department of Education (DENI) in Northern Ireland dispense funding for education either directly or through other bodies such as Local Education Authorities (LEAs), agencies and funding councils. There are a variety of different sources of funding available to public-sector schools, as described below.

State School

•In England, Wales and Scotland, most schools are funded by their Local Education Authority and Education Authorities in Scotland respectively.

•Sixth form colleges in England are funded by the Learning and Skills Council and in Wales by the Further Education Funding Council for Wales (There are no separate sixth form colleges in Scotland).

•In Northern Ireland schools are largely financed from public funds through the Belfast Education and Library Board, the North Eastern Education and Library Board, the South Eastern Education and Library Board, the Southern Education and Library Board and the Western Education and Library Board.

•Specialist schools are state secondary schools in England that teach the full curriculum but focus on a specialist subject, eg arts, sports, languages, science and technology. There are more than 850 specialist schools like science or science and engineering colleges.

Independent Schools

•In the UK independent schools are financed by means of fees paid by parents or by donations and grants received from benefactors.

Management                                                                                                                               

State Schools: England and Wales

•All LEA-maintained schools manage their own budgets.

•LEAs allocate funds to schools based on a formula which is largely driven by pupil numbers.

•Each LEA-maintained school has a governing body comprising LEA appointed governors, elected teacher and parent governors, and people from the local community.

•The school governing body is responsible for overseeing spending and most aspects of staffing, including appointments and dismissals.

State Schools: Scotland

•Most state schools in Scotland receive funds from their local Education Authorities and have school boards which are made up of elected parents and staff members as well as others from the community served by the school.

•A small number of grant-aided schools, mainly in the special sector, are run by boards of managers who receive grants direct from central government.

•There is one self-governing school in Scotland which receives funding direct from central government.

State Schools: Northern Ireland

•Controlled schools, voluntary maintained schools and voluntary grammar schools are all largely financed from public funds and are managed by a governing body made up of elected teachers, parents and people from the local community.

Independent Schools

•Most independent schools have their own boards of governors and a bursar who is responsible for the school's finances. Any surplus income is used for the benefit of the school. The head is responsible to the governors but is usually given a free hand to appoint staff, admit pupils and take day-to-day decisions.

•Most of these schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are accredited by the Independent Schools Council (ISC) and in Scotland by the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS).

For more information about UK schools: please visit:

•Structure and Curriculum

•Examinations and Assessment

•Quality Assurance