Ministers have axed education investment areas (EIAs), a Conservative levelling-up scheme that funnelled cash into left-behind parts of the country.
In 2022, the then government announced the EIA programme – which funnelled extra teacher incentives and other grants to 55 towns and counties with the lowest results.
They were chosen because they were deemed the “the weakest [places in the country] based on sustained low performance” across key stages 2 and 4 between 2017 and 2019.
The Conservatives hoped the initiative would ensure 90 per cent of pupils meet expected standards at key stage 2 and increase average GCSE maths and English language grades from 4.5 to 5 by 2030.
But it has been revealed this afternoon that “no future policies are intended to be prioritised” for EIAs.
A Department for Education spokesperson suggested its RISE school improvement teams will “play a vital role” in tackling “the biggest challenges which hold children back, and act as a catalyst for improvement”.
Priority areas also ended
“As part of our plan for change, we have made it our mission to tackle the baked-in inequalities that remain in our education system – taking a more targeted approach to ensure no child is left behind.”
Schools in the EIAs were prioritised for money through the trust capacity fund (TCaF), which was also binned by Labour towards the end of last year.
EIA schools were also prioritised for the connect the classroom scheme, which aims to improve internet speeds. Officials are developing a fresh set of criteria for the scheme’s next funding window.
Meanwhile, secondary teachers working in the investment areas could access larger targeted retention incentive payments, previously called levelling-up premiums.
DfE confirmed they will still be in line for bigger amounts in 2025-26. This will be reviewed ahead of the following round, though.
As part of the programme, 24 EIAs were later classified as priority education investment areas (PEIAs), places with high levels of deprivation as well as low achievement.
They were allocated a share of the £42 million local needs fund, used to pay for bespoke interventions to improve attainment in the PEIAs through to the end of March 2025.
At the time, the schools white paper said this would aim to address “entrenched underperformance, including in literacy and numeracy”.
But Schools Week revealed last week that funding for the PEIAs will not be extended after the end of this month.
Our analysis two years ago suggested the EIAs and PEIAs received just £50 per child through the schemes.
