Yesterday the Education Secretary announced an additional £1.3 billion for schools and high needs for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 years which will ensure an increase in per pupil funding. This formula settlement to 2019-2020 will provide at least £4800 per pupil for every secondary school which is a great boost for Cambridgeshire.
Lucy Frazer, MP for Ely and South East Cambridgeshire has long campaigned for a fairer school funding system to ensure that pupils in Cambridgeshire are afforded the same opportunities as those children in better-funded areas. Since before she was elected in 2015 she has pressed the Education Secretary to increase the core schools budget to ensure that each school has the funds it needs to operate a school effectively.
In the course of this campaign Lucy has taken the headteachers of the secondary schools in the constituency three times to meet the Education Secretary to explain the problems with the current formula. She has also raised the issue with the Education Secretary and the Chancellor in debates in the House of Commons and in meetings. She raised the issue again in April with the Prime Minister and last month with the First Secretary of State.
Lucy said “I have campaigned for three years to ensure a fairer funding formula for our schools in Cambridgeshire. I believe it is only right that schools are treated equally so all pupils get the same life chances. It is also important that schools have a level of funding per pupils which allows them to provide a good level of education. I am pleased that the Education Secretary has announced an increase to per pupil funding which will help our area. I will continue my campaign to support schools in every way I can.
“On Friday I met with 17 schools and the Department of Education to talk about how to tackle the teacher recruitment challenge and I will continue to press this and other vital issues to support our local schools and improve our education system.”