Schools

Section 52 statements

Local Authorities are required under section 52 of the Schools Standards and Framework Act 1998 to prepare a budget statement before the beginning of each financial year for that year. After the end of that financial year they are also required to prepare an outturn statement.

Regulations and guidance are published each year on the form and content of both statements and these are prescribed by the Secretary of State.

It is a statutory duty that Local Authorities publish their budget and outturn statements. This website fulfils the requirements of publication under the regulations.

The Department for Education maintains a website covering combined information for all Local Authorities going back over several years. The national section 52 budget statements can be found on the Department for Children, Schools and Families' website.

The Budget Statement provides a clear picture of the local authority's budget. It also shows how much the local authority intends to spend on services:

Outside of the schools
That schools 'buy back' from the local authority

The Outturn Statement is intended to

Provide schools, parents and others with an interest in education with details about schools and local authority funding and expenditure
Provide data for the departmental annual report
Inform policy making
Inform the Treasury for monitoring purposes
Inform parliament in its role of monitoring the department's accountability for public funds