Data helps council unlock £1.2 million in extra funding for schools

Lewisham Council in the UK has used data analysis to tap into an additional £1.2 million (US$1.5 million) in extra funds for schools across the borough, which is situated in southeast London.

Data analysis across several services within the council initially identified over 500 Lewisham families who were potentially eligible for Pupil Premium funding that had not been claimed.

The Pupil Premium Grant is funding from the government to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in state-funded schools in England. Schools receive extra funding for each eligible student to use for purposes such as additional teaching support, resources, or extracurricular activities. Pupil Premium is paid per child that is eligible and registered for free school meals, as well as children of service personnel or those classed as looked after.

The council analysed School Census data on benefits and education. Families were contacted by post and informed that they were potentially eligible for the additional funding and that the council would apply on their behalf unless they decided to opt out of the auto-enrolment process.

A spokesperson for Lewisham Council told Cities Today that just three families opted out.

The council stressed that the initiative was in line with General Data Protection Regulation procedures.

Return on investment

The council said the project was carried out in a short space of time to meet deadlines and cost under £800 in postage costs, meaning that every £1 spent generated £1,500.

The extra £1.2 million will be allocated directly to the schools where eligible families were identified.

The council has deemed the pilot “a huge success”. It will continue to roll out free school meal auto-enrolment and it is looking into ways the process can be replicated in other services beyond schools.

Councillor Chris Barnham, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, commented: “Our schools are seeing every day how difficult the cost-of-living crisis is for families. We’re doing what we can to help as a local council but with the cuts from central government, there’s a limit on how much we can do.

“That’s why this kind of innovation and creative approach is so important – cutting through red tape and doing everything we can to make sure our children and families get the help they’re entitled to. It’s also fantastic to discover how much more funding our schools are entitled to because of this project.”

Other councils have also used data to help residents receive benefits they are entitled to. In August, London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced the expansion of a data-led scheme to help older Londoners collect unclaimed Pension Credit. This followed a trial across 17 boroughs where 2,165 people claimed an average of £3,879 each.