Education has always been extremely important in my house. My parents were both teachers and, after I left university, I became one myself. Since I was selected to as the local candidate in the General Election I’ve greatly enjoyed meeting some of the excellent teachers and headteachers we have in the local area.
A few weeks ago I had a very productive meeting with five heads of some of the major secondary schools in the Brentwood area to introduce myself and hear their views. Each of their schools is different and has its own ethos but all were concerned about their budgets. Despite the fact that the overall schools budget is higher than ever before, they have been feeling the pinch because of additional pension costs, rising pupil numbers and inflation.
Following the meeting I spoke to colleagues in the Department for Education and 10 Downing Street. Other MPs were having similar conversations and, I’m very pleased to say, the Government has listened to our concerns. There will now be a £1.3bn boost for schools funding over two years – meaning that school funding will be £2.6bn higher in 2019-20. This will allow the Government to protect per pupil funding in real terms (i.e. allowing for inflation). This is excellent news for our schools.
Every secondary school will soon attract at least £4,800 per pupil, while funding for pupils who have additional needs will be protected. Crucially, the money has been found from efficiencies within the Department for Education's budget rather than through increased taxes (which would have hit local people in their pockets) and more debt (which would have led to higher taxes for future generations).
Money is not everything in education – money doesn’t guarantee inspiring teaching, effective leadership and sound management. But there’s no denying how much it helps. Since 2010 there are an additional 1.8m children attending Good and Outstanding schools in England. The extra funding the Government has found is a proud step towards ensuring that our local children continue to get an excellent start in life. I hope everyone has a good summer holiday – and the very best of British to everyone waiting for exam results.