{"id":243314,"date":"2026-03-17T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/?p=243314"},"modified":"2026-03-16T16:16:23","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T16:16:23","slug":"dfes-15m-boost-for-marketing-a-slap-in-face-for-families","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/schoolsweek.co.uk\/dfes-15m-boost-for-marketing-a-slap-in-face-for-families\/","title":{"rendered":"DfE\u2019s \u00a315m boost for marketing a \u2018slap in face\u2019 for families"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Department for Education spending on advertising and marketing has increased by \u00a315 million in just one year, it has revealed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rise has been described as \u201ca slap in the face\u201d for families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The department\u2019s advertising and marketing soared from \u00a334.6 million in 2022-23 to \u00a349.8 million in 2024-25, minister Olivia Bailey revealed in response to a parliamentary question. This marks a rise of more than 40 per cent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bailey said that paid marketing \u201cdirectly supports operational delivery by helping to recruit more school and college teachers and early years staff\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said it also helps to ensure that parents are aware of available support and encourages take-up of government-funded technical qualifications and training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Self-promotion’<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

But Munira Wilson MP, the Liberal Democrats\u2019 education, children and families spokesperson, criticised the sum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Munira
Munira Wilson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She raised it in a children\u2019s wellbeing and schools bill debate in the House of Commons<\/a> on Monday, while discussing a Lib Dem amendment on the adoption and special guardianship support fund (ASGSF), which she described as \u201ca lifeline for families\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA \u00a315 million increase in DfE advertising is a slap in the face for families in crisis,\u201d she later said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile individual adoption and special guardianship grants are being slashed for the most vulnerable children, the DfE is ramping up the spending on self-promotion.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She accused the government of having its priorities \u201cbackwards\u201d, adding: \u201cIt is indefensible to cut direct support for vulnerable children while finding millions more for marketing and glossy campaigns.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wilson called for the money to be \u201credirected\u201d, saying: \u201cThe DfE could halve the advertising budget to reverse the cuts to the ASGSF grants, and finally give children and their carers the stability they deserve.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shifting media landscape<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The DfE was approached for comment but had not responded when Schools Week<\/a> <\/em>went to press.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bailey previously said that the rising spend \u201creflects the changing media landscape and high levels of media inflation\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added that paid-for advertising and marketing is subject to Cabinet Office spending controls, \u201cwhich ensure taxpayer money is spent cost-effectively\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere possible, activity is delivered in-house as part of cross-government campaigns or at low cost through partner coordination.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Government criticised for ‘self-promotion’ after revealing \u00a350m spend<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":314902,"featured_media":57127,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[28,239],"post-theme":[2396],"class_list":["post-243314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-dfe","tag-education-policy","post-theme-politics"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t