Philip Hammond refuses to give way on school funding increase amid no-deal Brexit threat It means head teachers and college leaders face the prospect of being unable to set their budgets properly for the financial year ahead

Talks between the Education Secretary and the Chancellor to increase spending on education are heading towards failure as both sides fail to reach any kind of agreement.

i understands Damian Hinds is close to walking away from the negotiating table as he and Philip Hammond have been unable to agree how much the sector should receive.

It means head teachers and college leaders face the prospect of being unable to set their budgets properly for the financial year ahead.

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Theresa May was forced to ditch her attempts to dramatically increase spending on education as part of her legacy plans by as much as £27bn over the next three years due to the Chancellor’s refusal to sanction the plans.

No-deal Brexit plans

Mr Hammond is also refusing to give ground when it comes to the Department for Education’s (DfE) bid to increase spending and level per pupil funding as he guards against the threat of a no-deal Brexit.

A senior source told i: “Mr Hammond wants his own legacy to be about maintaining fiscal integrity. But he doesn’t do politics.

“School funding was the number one issue coming up on the doorstep during the 2017 election and we really need to have proper plans in place before we fight the next one.”

Securing funds for schools

The DfE now believes it has a better chance of securing money for schools once Mr Hammond has gone and a new Chancellor is appointed by either Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt.

Both leadership contenders have said they would increase spending on schools, with Mr Johnson pledging to pump £4.6bn more into the system per year by 2022.

In an interview with i, Mr Hinds said schools needed “more resources” if they are to eliminate the attainment gap and to allow young people to take advantage of the opportunities as the UK leaves the EU. “I have been really clear for an extensive period that to do the things we want to do, to take advantage of this new world, it does require resourcing,” he said.

Scrapping pledges

The Education Secretary, who is supporting Mr Hunt in the Tory leadership race, backed his plans to pull the UK out of the EU on October 31, even if it meant scrapping school spending pledges.

“We must leave the EU,” Mr Hinds said. “If we don’t, it will be the ultimate betrayal.

“And for millions of people – including some who had never voted for anything before in their life – who went to the ballot box to express a view they cared strongly about, for that to not be enacted that would be injurious to our democracy.

“We have to protect that democracy.”

Damian Hinds has said he wants to work with celebrities and sports stars to boost the uptake of foreign languages to better prepare young people for life and work after Brexit.