Does school spending matter?

Increases in resources for schools are typically more effective in disadvantaged schools and for disadvantaged pupils. That is one of the many findings of a review by Steve Gibbons and Sandra McNally of the research evidence on the causal effects of schools’ resources on pupil outcomes. In addition to assessing whether increasing the share of Britain’s national income devoted to education would make much of a difference, they ask what is the ideal balance of spending between early years, primary and secondary education. They conclude that there is no compelling case to support a transfer of resources from later stages of education to early years: early years investment may offer higher returns, but the returns erode unless topped up during later phases of childhood.