The House of Commons Education Select Committee met this morning to discuss school and college funding.

The committee heard from experts from think tanks and research bodies. Here are seven warnings they delivered:

1. The NHS funding boost poses ‘severe challenges’ for schools

Institute for Fiscal Studies research fellow Luke Sibieta told MPs that the government’s decision to hand the NHS an extra £20 billion “clearly poses quite severe challenges for high spending departments such as education...the pressures are obvious”. 

His warning follows this morning’s news that chancellor Philip Hammond has told the cabinet that the NHS cash boost will leave no room for extra funding in areas including schools, defence, prisons and police.

2. The ‘jury’s out’ on whether opportunity areas are working

Committee chair Robert Halfon asked whether the “opportunity areas”, aimed at increasing social mobility in certain areas of the country, would deliver value for money

Mr Sibieta replied: “The jury’s out until we have a proper assessment.”

3. We don’t know how much money multi-academy trusts are taking from their schools

The committee discussed whether MATs were bringing efficiencies into the system, taking into account the high salaries paid to some leaders. 

Education Policy Institute executive director Natalie Perera said, in “many” cases, MATs were reducing back-office costs, freeing up more money for teaching.

But, she said, it was harder for parents and the public to understand how much money an individual school within a MAT was getting, because their funds were often “top-sliced”.

Asked how much MATs were top-slicing from school budgets to spend on central costs, Ms Perera said this was unknown.

4. There is a ‘paucity’ of data on the state of school buildings

Angela Donkin, chief social scientist at the National Foundation for Educational Research, said capital funding cuts were limiting schools’ ability to expand as well as hitting IT infrastructure. 

Ms Perera highlighted a “paucity of data” on the state of the school estate.

5. Schools are being asked to do more, without any extra money

The experts agreed that the responsibilities of schools had grown over the years, and the government should define the role of schools.

For example, schools are now expected to provide a range of mental health services for pupils and look out for signs of radicalisation, Ms Donkin highlighted.

Mr Sibieta said the government should set out what the role of local authorities, schools and MATs should be - instead of saying schools should be doing “more and more from existing budgets”.

6. The teacher recruitment crisis is adding to schools’ financial pressures

Ms Donkin said, on average, teachers are working 50 hours a week - more than nurses and police officers, even taking school holidays into account.

This creates retention problems, and when teachers leave, schools then have to spend money on recruiting and training their replacements, she warned.

7. Rising pupil numbers will put secondary schools under increasing pressure

Mr Halfon asked why so many secondary schools appeared to be over-spending against their budgets.

Ms Perera said they required more specialist equipment and teachers, and that the amount spent on supply staff had increased by more than in primary schools.

And, with the pupil bulge moving into secondary schools, there is “a real risk” that the financial health of these schools will worsen, she added.

Mr Sibieta said that secondary schools may have picked up more responsibilities from local authorities in recent years.