Following the news yesterday that Somerset will get a £4.7m boost in funding from government for schools, Conservative-led Somerset County Council can reveal that this will convert to an increase of up to £73 per pupil.
Leader of Somerset County Council, John Osman, said: “This is fantastic news for pupils in Somerset. For years we have got an unfair deal from government and lobbied for the funding formula to change. This extra funding is a step in the right direction and will help schools secure resources and maintain education standards.
Cllr Osman added: “After years of a growing funding gap in schools and early years provision, the extra funding will fill the hole in the budget and help avoid damaging cuts to education in the county.”
Schools in Taunton Deane will see their per pupil funding increase by £73. Taunton Deane's Prospective MP Rebecca Pow commented:
“Children deserve the very best schools so they can gain the skills they need to get on in life. Labour failed to address the unfairness in our funding system which meant that our local schools haven’t received the funding they deserved.
That’s why I welcome this cash boost. It means our schools will get the resources they are entitled to and will help improve the quality of education for all children in Taunton Deane
This new money is part of our long-term economic plan to help all young people to have the best schools and skills so that they can succeed in life”.
Somerset County Council will decide where best to spend the extra £4.7m with the expectation that most of the money will go to schools, academies, nurseries and pre-schools. For years Somerset has got an unfair deal because of a flawed funding formula that is based on historical political decisions and out of date data.
The decision comes after the Minister of State for Schools met with the Somerset Children and Young People’s Compact, Council representatives and staff from local schools, academies and early years in June to discuss and highlight the low settlement for Somerset pupils.