Autumn budget: the £33 million boost for libraries, play, and tackling child poverty

Literacy: a combined £15 million investment in libraries

The Chancellor has bolstered support for literacy by building on a previous pledge, announcing a £15 million combined investment across England's schools. It’s hoped the move will encourage pupils to read books instead of looking at their phones.

Schools will need to ensure they have the staff capacity and expertise to weave these new resources into a cohesive, long-term literacy strategy.

£5 million for secondary school libraries

The Budget confirmed a £5 million investment targeted at secondary school libraries. This funding package aims to give every secondary school around £1,400 to purchase new books, tackling the reported decline in reading for pleasure. 

£10 million for primary schools

This new allocation comes in addition to the £10 million previously committed to ensuring every primary school in England has its own library. With up to 1,700 primary schools lacking a library, this combined funding is a statement about the government’s intent to cement reading as a national priority.

£18 million to revitalise play areas

Recognising the role of outdoor play in a child's health and development, the government has committed £18 million to enhance community facilities. The funding is allocated to improve and upgrade 200 children’s playgrounds across England.

For schools, this could mean improved local play spaces that support the holistic development of pupils.

Free school meals and poverty reduction

Crucial support for families and children’s ability to learn has been delivered through social policy reform, which will have an impact on classrooms.

Expansion of free school meals (FSM)

The Budget measures, alongside earlier announcements, are set to extend FSM to an extra half a million children.

Free breakfast clubs

Further investment of £80 million is planned to expand the successful free breakfast club programme to approximately 2,000 more schools between April 2026 and March 2027. 

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND funding) 

The Budget acknowledged the significant pressure from rising SEND spending.  The government will fully fund SEND from 2028-29, cutting a big financial pressure on councils. It has been stated that: ‘The Government would not expect local authorities to need to fund future special educational needs costs from general funds, once the statutory override ends at the end of 2027-28.' While the pledge to fund SEND in the future is a welcome commitment, it leaves schools facing a complex transition period over the next few years.

A missed opportunity: the budget's silence on early years 

The Autumn Budget 2025 failed to provide the immediate funding relief the education sector needs for early years settings and schools battling rising costs like the National Living Wage. While the government has promised a wider review, many point out that providers need support now to keep their doors open and ensure families can access affordable care and education. 

The verdict

The National Education Union (NEU) criticised the Budget, stating it offers nothing to an education system running on empty and does not address the core funding issues impacting schools.

Supporting school leaders to deliver new budget priorities

Navigating new funding streams while managing staffing needs remains a challenge for school leaders and teachers. If your school needs skilled educators to support these priorities, or to strengthen areas like SEND and literacy, we’re here to help.