The old adage ‘lies, damned lies and statistics' is never truer than when it comes to education spending. Is it up or down? Are poorer pupils worse off or better off than pre-austerity? Is the Government telling porkies when it says we're spending more than ever on schools?

Last spring the education secretary Damian Hinds was ticked off by the UK Statistics Authority for saying education spending was increasing; in fact it is flatlining in real terms until 2020.