Amending the funding arrangements for maintained schools in England and Wales was among New Labour’s educational priorities when it came to power in 1997. Accordingly a new devolved system was introduced in April 1999 known as ‘Fair Funding’. This change was particularly significant for schools that had been grant maintained (GM) under the previous government because it not only ended the favourable funding situation they had enjoyed but it also, once again, directed their funding through their local education authority. This article reports research into perceptions and experiences about the new funding arrangements in such schools.
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