All the talk of departmental budgets and fiscal rules may feel somewhat distant from the cost of groceries and the rest of the family finances.The Spending Review is not a Budget in which taxes are changed or a host of new policies announced.

Given the challenging global economy, strengthening domestic U.K. growth drivers becomes even more challenging.

The DfE’s overall budget, including capital, will increase by an average 0.8 per cent a year in real terms by the end of the spending review period, from £100.9 billion in 2025-26 to £109.2 billion in 2028-29. Ofsted will get a £20 million funding boost to help staff inspections under its new report card plans.