FIONA Bruce MP has met the Secretary of State for Education on the proposed changes to school funding.

The Congleton MP relayed the extreme level of concern from local residents to Justine Greening MP over the government’s planned National Funding Formula.

The changes would see significant losses to school budgets in the east Cheshire area, and has been met with a high number of objections from across the community.

This has led to a number of actions taking place to stop the formula, including an online petition, public meeting and scheduled protest on Saturday, March 18.

Fiona Bruce MP said: “I wanted the Secretary of State to hear directly of the extreme concern on the part of teachers, parents and students about these proposals.”

Head teachers in the Congleton constituency have calculated a minimum sum required to educate young people at £4,800 per pupil. The proposals would mean that on average each pupil would be budgeted at £4,122.

Fiona continued: “Anything less than the required sum would mean severe reduction in provision either in teaching staff numbers or facilities or both and would make pupils in east Cheshire the lowest funded in the country.”

The MP is now urging everyone in the constituency concerned about the government cuts to make their views known on the consultation.

Fiona concluded: “It is completely unjust that parts of the country will have over £2,000 more per pupil to spend on education.

“Tower Hamlets Authority in London would have over £6,500, and I want to have made it very clear to government ministers that I will be voting against these proposals unless they are changed.

“A huge groundswell of objections through the government consultation could really help this.”

The government consultation closes on March 22 and can be contributed to at consult.education.gov.uk/funding-policy-unit/schools-national-funding-formula2.