Schools launch ‘Funds, Glorious Funds’ video

VIDEO: Warrington school children are setting their own challenge to the Government over fairer funding with a unique take on ‘Food, Glorious Food’.

Youngsters from 11 schools have united to put a new ‘twist’ on the classic ‘Oliver!’ theme, changing the focus from ‘food’ to ‘funds’.

With lyrics such as ‘Funds, glorious funds, New paper and pencils!’ and ‘Rich schools have it, boys – long term protection!’ the song aims to highlight the insecurity Warrington schools are feeling over the government’s new National Funding Formula, and the damaging impact they fear it may have on education.

The video, produced by Sir Thomas Boteler High School, has been uploaded to You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yufe4vA5fdc and a website has been set up at www.fundsgloriousfunds.com, to spread the message.

Children and staff are hoping the video will grab people’s attention – from the public, to schools, to the Government – to help raise awareness of the issue and encourage politicians to think again.

The initiative has been organized by head teacher at Woolston Community Primary School, Craig Burgess, who has been campaigning for several years to achieve more funds for Warrington schools.

Craig said: “This is such an important issue, so we wanted to come up with a creative way of really getting the message out there. I spoke to some of my colleagues who said schools are currently in a position where we are having to beg, just like Oliver Twist. That was the inspiration I needed to write a new version of Food Glorious Food, targeted at the Government.

Ten more schools quickly came on board and recorded their own performance of the song. All of the versions, featuring hundreds of school children, have been combined to make a powerful, multi-school video, which we hope expresses our fears in a way that resonates across the country.

Schools across Warrington hoped the National Funding Formula would be the answer to our prayers – but it has, in fact, been the opposite. We are already the tenth worst funded education authority in the country, how can we lose more? It just doesn’t make sense. I’m hopeful that, through this initiative, we can send out the message that these plans are not meeting the needs of children. Hopefully, we can play our part in securing a fairer deal for our schools.”

Councillor Jean Carter, executive board member for children’s services, added: “I applaud Woolston Primary School for starting up this initiative and for all those schools who have come on board. It’s a fantastic, imaginative way of telling the Government, in no uncertain terms, what they think about the funding plans.
he current formula is extremely unfair for authorities like ours and we would implore the Government – ‘please sir, we want some more’. It’s great that children are taking action themselves and uniting to help get this message to the Chancellor. I would encourage all teachers, staff and parents to respond to the National Formula Funding consultation. This is just too important to ignore – the future of our borough depends on investment in high quality education for each and every one of our children.”

The consultation document can be found at https://consult.education.gov.uk/funding-policy-unit/schools-national-funding-formula2/

You can also visit www.warrington.gov.uk and type ‘school cuts’ into the search box for more information and guidance around the proposals for schools funding and the Government’s consultation.