Common funding

Common funding scheme

Under the provisions of the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 2003, a Common Funding Scheme (Scheme) has been drawn up to apply to all grant-aided schools funded under the Local Management of Schools (LMS) arrangements.

From 1st April 2005, all grant-aided schools have been funded under the common funding formula arrangements set out in the Common Funding Scheme.

Scheme documents are available to view for the following financial years:

• Common Funding Scheme 2025-26
• Common funding scheme 2024-2025 - Final Opening Position
• Common funding scheme 2023-2024
• Common funding scheme 2022-2023 (Revised December 2022)
• Common funding scheme 2021-2022
• Common funding scheme 2020-2021
• Common funding scheme 2019-2020

Budgets for schools

The Education Authority as funding authority for schools issues formal budget notification letters to schools to confirm details of their budget shares each year.

The following publications provide summary totals of the indicative delegated budget allocations for all grant-aided schools for each of the respective years calculated under the Common Funding Formula (CFF) arrangements.

• Common Funding Formula Interim Opening Budgets for Schools 2026-27
• Final Opening Common Funding Formula Budgets for Schools 2025-26
• Common Funding Formula Budgets for Schools 2025-26 (allocated to schools before agreement of September 2024 Teachers' Pay Award)
• Final Opening Common Funding Formula Budgets for Schools 2024-25
• Interim Common Funding Formula Budgets for Schools 2024-25
• Revised Common Funding Formula Budget for Schools 2023-24
• Common Funding Formula Budgets for Schools 2023-24
• Revised Common Funding Formula Budgets for Schools 2022-23 Including EA Allocations
• Common Funding Formula Budgets for Schools 2022-23
• Common Funding Formula Budgets for Schools 2021-22
• Common Funding Formula Budgets for Schools 2020-21
• Common Funding Formula Budgets for Schools 2019-20
• Common Funding Formula Budgets for Schools 2018-19
• Common Funding Formula Budgets for Schools 2017-18
• Revised Common funding formula budgets for schools 2016-17
• Common funding formula budgets for schools 2016-17

Legislation

The basis for Local Management of Schools (LMS), with delegated responsibilities and delegated budgets, is the Education Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 1989 (Part V as amended by the 2003 Order).

As a result of the exit from the European Union, a change is required to the definitions applied to a small number of fee-paying pupils in post-primary Boarding departments of certain Voluntary Grammar Schools. The proposed changes are subject to necessary amendments being made to the Education Reform (Norther Ireland) Order 1989).

Further information on the proposed changes can be accessed below:
Changes to the Fee-paying arrangements for students in post-primary Boarding Departments of certain Voluntary Grammar Schools

The Common Funding Scheme (CFS) did not alter the principles of LMS, but established a single system for the funding of all grant-aided schools on a consistent and equitable basis, irrespective of location or sector, and was first implemented in April 2005.

• The Education and Libraries (NI) Order 2003