F40 Group Vice Chairman Graham Stuart MP has welcomed the Government’s consultation on fair school funding, which launched today.
The consultation plans to begin introducing a national funding formula from 2017/18 onwards. It will ensure every school and local area, no matter where they are in the country, is funded fairly – according to pupil need rather than the oddities of history.
This signals an end to the current unfair system, which has lasted for decades and led to a situation where the ten best funded areas of England currently receive an average of £6,300 per pupil of schools block funding, compared to just £4,200 in the ten worst funded areas, with no objective basis for the difference.
Graham, who has led a major Parliamentary campaign calling for reform throughout the last year, said, “It’s excellent news that ministers have unveiled their proposals to start delivering fair school funding, with the process hopefully beginning as early as next year. Tens of thousands of people up and down England signed Fair School Funding petitions last year, reflecting their desire to end a system where children have thousands of pounds less spent on their education if they happen to live in the wrong place – like the East Riding of Yorkshire.
“Establishing consistent core funding to which every pupil is entitled represents a huge step forward and shows ministers are delivering on their promises to end this long-standing unfairness. I now look forward to reviewing the proposals in detail with colleagues and funding experts. We need to keep up the momentum for this final crucial stage of the process and secure the best possible outcome.”
