Basic need allocations
Basic need capital funding allocated to each local authority to create new places from 2011 to 2028.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Basic need funding is the money we give local authorities each year to help them fulfil their duty to make sure there are enough school places for children in their local area.
Allocations for the 2026 to 2027 and 2027 to 2028 financial years, announced in 2025, will support local authorities to create the new school places they need by September 2028. This is in addition to allocations announced in 2023, for the 2025 to 2026 financial year, for school places needed by September 2026.
‘Capital funding for school places needed by 2028: explanatory note on methodology’ explains how we calculated the funding for each local authority, using data from the school capacity survey.
‘Basic need grant determination: 2025 to 2026’ sets out the conditions of the grant for payments in the 2025 to 2026 financial year. The Secretary of State for Education makes grant determinations under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003.
‘Basic need capital allocations guidance: 2025 to 2026’ is intended to support local authorities as they consider how to best use their basic need allocations for the 2025 to 2026 financial year.
In addition to basic need funding, local authorities also receive high needs provision capital allocations. This supports the provision of new places for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities or requiring alternative provision.
Updates to this page
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Updated the basic need grant determination and the basic need allocations guidance for the 2025 to 2026 financial year.
Update history
2026-04-27 10:00
Updated ‘Basic need capital allocations guidance’ and ‘Basic need grant determination’ for the 2026 to 2027 financial year. Made minor changes to ‘Basic need allocations for 2028 and funding for 2011 to 2028’.
2025-09-15 09:30
Updated ‘Basic need allocations for 2028 and funding for 2011 to 2028’.
2025-06-04 10:30
Updated the basic need grant determination and the basic need allocations guidance for the 2025 to 2026 financial year.
2025-03-27 11:00
Updated to include funding up to 2028.
2024-04-25 10:30
Updated basic need allocation guidance and basic need grant determination documents for the 2024 to 2025 financial year. Minor changes made to ‘Basic need allocations for 2026 and funding for 2011 to 2026’.
2023-06-22 09:30
Funding spreadsheet has been updated to include 2025 to 2026 allocation for Kent.
2023-03-28 10:03
Updated to include funding up to 2026.
2022-03-28 10:48
Updated ‘Basic Need funding allocations for 2024 and 2025 and funding for 2011 to 2025’, ‘Capital funding for school places needed by 2024 and 2025: explanatory note on methodology’, and ‘Basic need grant determination’. Added ‘Basic Need allocations guidance 2022 to 2023’. Removed ‘Basic need allocations for 2023: quality assurance note’.