New prime minister Rishi Sunak has said he will 鈥渄eliver on the promise鈥 of the Conservative party鈥檚 2019 manifesto, promising to deliver “better schools”. Speaking outside No 10 Downing Street after becoming the country鈥檚 third prime minister in seven weeks, Sunak warned of 鈥渄ifficult decisions to come鈥. He admitted 鈥渕istakes were made鈥 by the Truss-led government, and vowed to put 鈥渆conomic stability and confidence at the heart of this government鈥檚 agenda鈥. The previous administration was planning to ask government departments to cut between 10 and 15 per cent of their capital budgets, and 2 per cent savings in revenue budgets. After replacing Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor, Jeremy Hunt said last week that 鈥渁ll departments will need to redouble their efforts to find savings, and some areas of spending will need to be cut鈥. He denied the government was planning austerity on the 鈥渟cale鈥 of 2010, and said it was 鈥渓ikely that cash spending will continue to go up鈥. But it was still 鈥済oing to be tough鈥. Sunak said today the Conservative party鈥檚 manifesto was at the 鈥渉eart鈥 of the 鈥渕andate my party earned鈥 at the 2019 election. He pledged to 鈥渄eliver on its promise鈥, citing 鈥渂etter schools鈥 and 鈥渓evelling up鈥. So what does this mean for schools? 1. Manifesto included key funding pledge, but it’s been delivered already The pledged extra funding for schools. So Sunak鈥檚 promise to deliver on this is good news, right? In short, no. The manifesto pledged 鈥渁n extra 拢14 billion in funding for schools鈥. This actually worked out as the schools budget rising by 拢7.1 billion by this year (2022-23). The promise included per-pupil funding rising to at least 拢5,000 in secondaries and 拢4,000 in primaries. Both these pledges have already been achieved. (Core schools funding has actually risen by 拢9.4 billion this year compared to 2019, Treasury documents shows). This is because at the spending review last year, Sunak himself while chancellor, pledged an additional 拢4.7 billion for school funding by 2024-25. This, he promised, would 鈥渞estore per-pupil funding to 2010 levels in real terms鈥. Education groups are calling on the government to stick to that promise (inflation has meant they will now fall some 拢2 billion short of meeting the promise), but importantly it wasn鈥檛 a manifesto commitment. 2. Levelling up back on the agenda Levelling up, one of Boris Johnson鈥檚 big mantras, had fallen by the wayside under Liz Truss. But Sunak has put it back on the agenda today (). The government鈥檚 levelling up paper had some schools policies, including funding the Oak national academy, setting up education investment areas and opening new 鈥渆lite鈥 sixth forms – all of which are either underway or already in place. The only schools policy with an actual costed commitment was 拢5m for a new cooking curriculum and training. A pilot to inspect school standards started recently. 3. What did Sunak promise while running for leader? The worsening economic outlook means many of the schools commitments made by Sunak while he was running for leader earlier this year will not be a priority (if they survive at all). But pledges included a new British Baccalaureate that would require all pupils to continue to study core subjects like English and maths up to 18 years old and a two-year accountability holiday for trusts taking on the 鈥渕ost persistently underperforming schools鈥. He pledged to explore how to use AI to reduce workload outside of teaching time and (PE) classes during every school inspection.