New data has revealed that school budgets for education support staff have soared by 21% across all regions in England for the academic year 2023-2024, compared to 2022-2023.
The research, as part of the ‘School Budget Crisis Report’ created by education software solution Access Education, analysed government data on school funding and special education needs in a sample of 927 state-funded primary and secondary schools across 149 Local Authorities in England, for the academic years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024.
The report flags potential financial pitfalls for schools, taking into consideration spending on full-time and supply teachers, SEN, energy and building maintenance.
Nationally, schools spent £584 million on education support staff in the 2023-2024 academic year, marking a substantial 21% increase year-on-year. Education support staff play a vital role in assisting teachers, students, and parents, while also handling key administrative tasks.
The findings reinforce a growing national dependence on additional in-classroom and operational support as schools adapt to rising demands and stretched teaching capacity.
This follows after the offer of a 3.2% pay rise to support staff in LA-maintained schools in England, a move flagged to add further strain to already stretched school budgets in the next academic year.
Schools in the West Midlands recorded the largest jump in education support staff spending, rising by 92% from £35.1 million to £67.5 million in total. The region also recorded the largest overall expenditure increase, jumping by 95% in the past year.
In the South East education support staff spending rose by 29% to over £117 million, while expenditure on supply teachers also climbed by 26% to £15.6 million. With a combined spending of £133.3 million, this highlights that schools in the region are increasingly relying on extra staff to support classrooms.
Conversely, schools in the South West and North East of England saw the smallest rises in education support staff, at just 9% and 4%, respectively.
However, with 72% of support staff working beyond their contracted hours – of which a third cited a reduction in support staff numbers as the cause – schools in these regions may need to reassess where their expenditure is allocated.
| Education Support Staff Expenditure, % Change in Spend (Year-on-Year) | |||
| Regions in England | Total Expenditure 2022-2023 | Total Expenditure 2023-2024 | Total Expenditure (Year-on-Year % Change) |
| West Midlands | £35,170,208 | £67,584,453 | 92% |
| South East | £91,581,168 | £117,704,811 | 29% |
| East Midlands | £32,125,535 | £38,724,442 | 21% |
| North West | £81,377,751 | £92,517,769 | 14% |
| Yorkshire | £51,078,618 | £57,777,655 | 13% |
| East of England | £46,180,342 | £52,088,262 | 13% |
| London | £89,323,610 | £98,568,371 | 10% |
| South West | £36,720,466 | £40,117,573 | 9% |
| North East | £18,173,015 | £18,821,637 | 4% |
Emma Slater, Head of Product at The Access Group, said:
“The scale of the ongoing teacher retention crisis has reached a tipping point. With tightening budgets, schools are being pushed to carefully evaluate and manage their spending, while education support staff are increasingly being relied on to fill teaching and operational gaps. But with 72% found to be often working beyond contracted hours, schools risk losing vital support systems if pressures continue.
“Our ‘School Budget Crisis Report’ outlines the escalating economic crisis schools are facing ahead of further staff pay rises. Allocating funding for education support staff will be crucial to retaining these vital roles and supporting full-time teachers, as a decline in their numbers could force some regions to depend more heavily on supply teachers and overburdened teaching staff.
“With our data finding schools are increasingly turning to short-term staffing solutions, this points to a wider need for targeted, long-term action. Solutions like the all-in-one school budgeting software tool can play a key role in helping leaders allocate funding more effectively, protect staff wellbeing, and build financial stability in the long-term to safeguard against escalating challenges.”
