Funding Formula

• • Schools are allocated funds by a formula based on how many pupils they attract
  • Popular schools get more funds = affording better-qualified teachers and better facilities
  • Popularity = being more selective and attract more able or ambitious generally middle-class applicants
• • Unpopular schools lose income and find it difficult to match the teacher skills and facilities of their more successful rivals
  • Popular schools with good results and middle-class pupils thrive; unpopular schools fail to attract students = reduced funding
• Public Policy Research (2012): Competition-oriented education systems produce more segregation between children of different social backgrounds