MP welcomes “fairer funding” for schools

A FAIRER funding formula for schools announced by chancellor George Osborne in his Autumn statement could result in a better deal for Warrington, MP David Mowat believes.
Welcoming the announcement, the Warrington South MP described the current system as “arbitrary and unfair”.
Mr Osborne said the new formula would be in operation by 2017.
Under existing funding arrangements, schools in some areas can get up to £2,300 more per pupil than schools with roughly the same proportions of pupils from deprived backgrounds in other areas.
Warrington is one of the 20 worst funded LEAs in the country and hundreds of teachers and head teachers in the borough have signed a petition to Parliament calling for reform.
Mr Mowat has campaigned on the issue for five years and, after the announcement, he said: “I’m delighted that the chancellor has listened to the hundreds of teachers, heads and parents in Warrington who have called for fairer funding.
“I wouldn’t care if Warrington had less money than everyone else if I could take teachers through the formula and show them precisely why it produces the numbers that it does.
“The current system is arbitrary, unfair and it certainly won’t be missed in Warrington.”