David Tredinnick has welcomed the Chancellor’s commitment to introduce fair school funding as part of today’s Comprehensive Spending Review.  A new funding formula will set a national rate that every school will receive for each pupil, with additional funding for those with extra needs.  Crucially, from 2017-18 onwards the resources schools and local authorities will receive will be based on pupil characteristics rather than historic political calculations.  The Department for Education will consult on the detail of the announcement in early 2016.

The announcement 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 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.  The longstanding current formula has always disadvantaged Leicestershire, leaving the county consistently at the bottom of the funding league.

The Chancellor’s announcement follows years of campaigning by the F40 Group of poorly-funded local authorities, and a concerted Parliamentary campaign to make the issue a top political priority.  In October, David Tredinnick was one of 111 MPs who wrote to the Prime Minister to call for fairer funding to be introduced.  On Tuesday 1 December, the Bosworth MP will join colleagues as petitions from over 100 constituencies calling for fair funding will be presented by MPs in the House of Commons chamber. 

David Tredinnick said, “I am delighted that the Government has committed to introduce a national funding formula for English schools, ending the postcode lottery that means pupils in Leicestershire lose out for no good reason.  We will need to see the full detail of the consultation, but in principle this represents a huge step forward and is a decision of lasting significance. 

“I am very grateful to Market Bosworth Division’s County Councillor Ivan Ould, who has played a big role as Chairman of the F40 national campaign for fair school funding.  I have worked with Ivan over many years as he has tirelessly drawn attention to the unfair funding gap and its impact on pupils in Leicestershire and other areas disadvantaged by the present formula.  The Chancellor’s announcement represents a real breakthrough for school funding in our area.”