Osborne takes campaign for fairer funding to Education Secretary

osborne

With local schools set to lose over £1.8 million from their annual budget by 2019 under the Government's new funding formula, the campaign is continuing for a fairer system which MP George Osborne has pledged to support.

The government is proposing to introduce a National Funding Formula in 2018-19, which is designed to deliver a transparent funding system where the amount of funding children attract for their schools is based on need and is consistent across the country. However, according to the National Union of Teachers unless the Government allocates more money, schools will lose £3 billion a year in real terms by 2020.

The new system would result in a cut in budget for every primary school in Wilmslow, Handforth, Styal, Alderley Edge, Nether Alderley, Chelford, Mobberley and Mottram St Andrew, as well as Wilmslow High School.

Figures published by the NUT show that our 14 local state schools (excluding Wilmslow Grange which they did not have figures for) would be over £1.8 million a year worse off if the government introduced the proposed National Funding Formula, which would result in the loss of 45 teachers along with 1 teaching assistant at Lindow Community Primary School and the average amount that would be lost for every pupil would be £450.

George Osborne met with the Secretary of State for Education, Justine Greening MP, last week to raise the concerns about the impact of the new school funding formula on Cheshire. He was joined by other Cheshire MPs, including David Rutley (MP for Macclesfield) and Antoinette Sandbach (MP for Eddisbury).

Speaking after the meeting, George said "I wanted the Government to know directly how concerned local teachers and parents in Cheshire are about the new schools formula. There's no substitute to giving the message direct to the Education Secretary - so that's what I did. Everyone knows we need a new formula and that there isn't extra money lying around, but the money needs to be fairly distributed. I said when I met with local schools I would be a strong voice for them - and that's what I will continue to do. My hope and expectation is that the message is getting through."

Dr James Pulle, Headteacher at Wilmslow High School, said "All who care about the quality of education available to children and young people in Cheshire East state schools will be delighted to know that their constituency MPs have met the Secretary of State for Education to raise concerns regarding the potential impact of the proposed National Funding Formula for schools.

"George Osborne's advice was that parents, governors and staff should respond directly to the DfE Consultation and Wilmslow High School has supported this by hosting three information evenings for parents from schools in the local area. The response of those attending has been excellent and we can be confident that the DfE will have received a strong message from our community.

"If anyone would like further advice and guidance from the school please email [email protected]."

The Department for Education is consulting on the initial proposals until 22nd March. You can take part in the consultation online.

A public consultation meeting is also being held on Friday 17th March at 7.30pm in the Alexandra Suite at Crewe Alexandra FC. Organised by the NUT, speakers include Edward Timpson Minister of State at the DfE and Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner.

Additionally there will be a march against the National Funding Formula cuts to Education in Cheshire East, meeting at Sandbach boys school at 11am on Saturday, 18th March. They will then march, peacefully and on the pavement, to the Cobbles in Sandbach town.

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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

John Clegg
Wednesday 15th March 2017 at 5:25 pm
I like listening to the wisdom that springs from the lips of the financial wizards who take an interest in our lives. Whether it's one of the beancounters - er, accountancy firms who were asleep on watch while banks and the like were busy selling each other toxic debt to cause the financial crisis and creating off-shore tax-efficient vehicles for those better than ourselves and advising on ever-expensive PFI deals to build hospitals and the like but more expensively than usual financing methods and could probably organize drinking parties in breweries but can't spot the difference between 2 envelopes at a prestigious awards ceremony, or another of the great-and-good who forgot to remember that her brother sat on the board of a major bank, they make interesting listening.

And we can't forget our own MP who famously guided the nation through years of austerity, and had the foresight to dream up a budget to punish - er, help the country prepare for Brexit.
John Clegg
Wednesday 15th March 2017 at 5:56 pm
And here he is again...
Chris Wigley
Wednesday 15th March 2017 at 8:43 pm
I wondered why George Osborne had the signs Senior Fiction on each side of him?
Peter Croome
Thursday 16th March 2017 at 4:43 pm
Gosh - Mr. Osborne must have found a spare day!
Pete Taylor
Thursday 16th March 2017 at 9:42 pm
Another U-Turn George? Surely none of this is a surprise to the bloke who started it:

http://bit.ly/2nsLIfv

http://bit.ly/2nsGuQW

http://bit.ly/2nx2zKM

and so on...
Julie Green
Friday 17th March 2017 at 11:13 am
Isn't the real Government agenda for the so called affluent areas "If you don't like it shove off and go private"? Strange how public money will be found to finance new Free schools etc... Also, has G.O got time to represent his constituents adequately in this matter with his increasing workload, the latest apparently being his appointment as editor of a London newspaper?
Pete Taylor
Friday 17th March 2017 at 11:27 am
Now, surely he must resign- how many jobs can one person do?
Manuel Golding
Friday 17th March 2017 at 12:04 pm
No wonder some call our MP "Boy Wonder" with yet another job - the new to be editor of
the London Evening Standard.

It is a trash "news" paper, wonder what he can do to improve this free waste of space?

Is Chris Wrigley in the know? Is Boy Wonder to be the Senior Fiction editor?
Terry Roeves
Friday 17th March 2017 at 12:58 pm
An MP who has blatantly lost interest in his constituency - speaking, finance and now journalism all paying more money.
Shameful and as once said, 'the unacceptable face of capitalism'.
Can our conservative Cllrs continue as conservatives? NO! Time for mass resignations. Our local politicians must do something. GO needs to be shown that politics is a full time job, there to represent constituents, not to feather his nest. Being an MP is not a part time .
I am truly shocked.
David Nelson
Friday 17th March 2017 at 1:14 pm
Well! Honest George now has a newspaper editorship to add to his portfolio. I've just heard that he is committed to his constituents, committed to his new transatlantic advisory job. I will be truly pleased when I hear he really is committed.
Peter Croome
Friday 17th March 2017 at 5:06 pm
It is a farce - can we have a real MP? The Evening Standard used to be a good Newspaper.