Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, presented his fairer funding for schools in South Staffordshire petition in the House of Commons last night.
The petition, which was presented alongside MPs from up and down the country gathered 1,705 signatures from schools, pupils, staff and parents across South Staffordshire. The presentation comes just under a week after the Chancellor’s announcement in the Autumn Statement that the national funding formula for schools is being changed from 2017.
Gavin has been campaigning on a change on the way schools across the country are funded since his election as a Member of Parliament in 2010. This summer he campaigned across the constituency gathering 1,682 signatures from residents who shared his concerns about the way schools were funded and wanted to see a fairer system implemented.
The announcement signals an end to the current system and led to a situation where on average the ten best funded areas in the country received grants of £6,300 per pupil this year, compared with an average of just £4,200 per pupil in the ten most poorly funded areas. Pupils in South Staffordshire receive £4,303.71 per pupil compared to Wolverhampton where pupils received £4,819.46.
The Chancellor also announced in the Autumn Statement the rebuilding and refurbishing of 49 schools in the worst condition through the Priority Schools Building Programme. Since 2010, 30 free schools have been opened in the West Midlands and nine more have already been approved this parliament.
Commenting on the announcement Gavin said: "I am delighted that The Chancellor has announced that the existing funding formula will be scrapped and a new fair formula put in place for 2017.
“Together with many MPs across the country, I launched a petition which got 1,705 signatures from across South Staffordshire and I am delighted that the Government has listened.
“I would like to thank all those who took the time to send back the petition, particularly the staff from schools across South Staffordshire who helped in handing them out. Parents across South Staffordshire wanted a fair deal for their children, based on need rather than where they happen to live and I am delighted to be a part of the Government that will at last deliver this change for South Staffordshire.