David Warburton MP and South Somerset County and District Councillor Dean Ruddle have welcomed the government’s launch this week of the largest-ever education budget for primary and secondary schools and the introduction of historic reforms that will bring an end to unfairness in the school funding system for rural schools.
Outlined on 7th March 2016 by the Secretary of State for Education, the new reforms will deliver a budget of over £40 billion in 2016 – 17: the largest education budget for primary and secondary education in this country’s history.
The government is also reforming the way funding is distributed so that rural English schools receive a fairer slice of the cake.
David Warburton MP said, “This is momentous development for Somerset’s schools. I have been campaigning for years for fairer funding for our rural schools so the Secretary of State’s announcement of a £40 billion budget for primary and secondary education is very welcome.
“Councillor Dean Ruddle and I have been working for many years with David Norton, Head Teacher of King Ina School in Somerton, to secure funding for a new school there. This has been a hard struggle involving endless negotiations with Somerset County Council. The government’s latest commitment to invest in schools, however, gives us all a boost and will, I hope, mean happier times ahead for Somerset schools.”
South Somerset County and District Councillor Dean Ruddle added, “After many meetings with officers from both South Somerset District Council and Somerset County Council, I’m delighted that the new school for Somerton is finally on track.
“Its been a challenge to identify an appropriate site for the new school and we’re currently considering proposals to bring together the current sports fields combined with the school to form a community hub. Plans for the new school include a freshwater swimming pool, a new gym, a clubhouse incorporating a snooker hall and skittle alley plus new flood-lit sports pitches and tennis courts.
“All these considerations are at an early stage but its an exciting proposal and one which, when complete, will deliver some really excellent new facilities for both school-children and residents in the Somerton area.”
Under the current system for distributing schools funding, a school in one part of the country could receive over 50% more than an identical school with exactly the same children. Proposals published by the Government this week introduce a national funding formula so that no pupil is disadvantaged simply by where they live.
The plans outlined this week will ensure:
•Every school and local area, no matter where they are in the country, is funded fairly - according to need rather than the oddities of history; meaning areas with the highest need will attract the most funding and ensuring that all children get access to the education they deserve; and
•Funding gets straight to the frontline – the current school funding system relies on local authorities determining how much funding schools are allocated. A single national funding formula for schools will remove the role of the local authority, ensuring pupils with similar needs attract the same level of funding to their school, and will also give head teachers far more certainty over future budgets.
The Secretary of State for Education Nicky Morgan MP said: “We want every school in England to get the funding it deserves, so that all children – whatever their background and wherever they live in the country – get a great education.
“The introduction of a national funding formula from 2017-18 will see the biggest step towards fairer funding in over a decade – ensuring that pupils get funding that genuinely matches their need. It will also ensure that pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds continue to receive significant additional funding to overcome entrenched barriers to their success.”
Local authorities will continue to play a vital role in the distribution of high needs funding as they are best placed to make important local decisions about children with special educational needs and disabilities.