Education must be protected

AS the Omicron variant surges, I believe passionately that everything must be done to protect education in Cheltenham. Experience shows that despite the heroics of Cheltenham teachers and frazzled parents, there’s a huge cost to home-schooling. It’s felt in lost learning, stunted social mobility, and the wellbeing of children falling off a cliff.

That’s why I’m calling on former teachers to come forward to temporarily support school and college workforces in the New Year. If you think you can help, email me or contact a supply teaching agency via www.gov.uk. You can make a massive difference to the next generation.

Meanwhile, I’m delighted that next year Cheltenham’s schools will be receiving a major cash increase. Funding per pupil will go up by a whopping 5.8% in real terms. Bournside, Pittville, Balcarras, All Saints’ Academy and Pate’s will now receive a minimum of £5,669 per pupil.

Back in 2016 the per pupil figure was just £4,100. That was because of an old unfair funding formula devised in the 1990s which prioritised major urban areas like Liverpool at the expense of rural counties like Gloucestershire. It had disadvantaged Cheltenham children for decades.

Thanks to the fantastic support from local people, I was able to lead the successful national campaign to replace the formula with one that’s more generous to Cheltenham.

In addition, a record £1 billion extra nationally will be spent to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, in schools like Belmont.

All this comes on top of £30m for a brand-new school in Leckhampton. The excellence of local schools is one of the single biggest factors that make Cheltenham such a special place to live and raise a family.

During this pandemic and beyond, we can work together to make our schools go – in the words of one Cheltenham school’s motto – from strength to strength.

Alex Chalk

MP for Cheltenham