“We welcome attempts to protect the education budget but the truth is that many schools in Wales are already in a very difficult financial position and that is not going to change as a result of today’s announcement.

“The decision not to cut Covid recovery funding is an important acknowledgement that schools are still feeling the impact of the pandemic. Equally vital during the cost-of-living crisis is the protection of the Pupil Development Grant to support learners from low-income households. However, leaving budgets as they are means schools will still be vulnerable to rising costs as a result of inflation and this is likely to necessitate further cuts to staffing and other provision.

“The current education funding system in Wales is extremely complicated and our hope is that the new Local Authority Education Grant will improve transparency and reduce bureaucracy. As always, the devil will be in the detail and the most important thing is that funding actually reaches the frontline. There must be investment in education so that schools have the resources they need to deliver an ever-growing list of reforms.”