Town hall to keep up fight for school funds

THE battle for fairer school funding will go on after Cheshire East Council members unanimously agreed to continue lobbying Government.

Conservative councillor Jos Saunders, former cabinet member for children and families, called on members to support her request for the new administration to continue advocating a fairer funding deal for Cheshire East schools at Thursday’s meeting.

The member for Poynton East and Pott Shrigley said: “The current and proposed national funding formula is inequitable for Cheshire East schools.

“The current formula shifts resources away from areas with relatively low deprivation, such as Cheshire East, and this is reducing our basic funding levels – and not moving enough to run our schools.

“The solution is either additional funding, or a further review of the funding formula, as schools are already facing extreme challenges.”

In her motion, which was supported by fellow Conservative councillor George Hayes, Coun Saunders highlighted work done by the last administration in leading a campaign lobbying local MPs and Damian Hinds, education secretary, on the issue.

But Coun Craig Browne, deputy council leader, criticised the Conservatives’ attempt to use a motion to praise the work of the last administration - and pushed through an amendment which simply pledged to continue battling for fairer funding.

Labour’s Coun Dorothy Flude, cabinet member for children and families, said: “We have always supported our schools.

“This is the most important thing probably that we will agree to today, because it is about our children.”