20 Greater Manchester MPs representing 1.5 million people have written to the Education Secretary and Chancellor calling for fairer funding for our education system in next week’s Budget. You can read the letter below.

Support James’s campaign to save our schools

 

Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP

Secretary of State for Education

Department for Education

Sanctuary Buildings

Great Smith Street

London

SW1P 3BT

25^th October 2018

Dear Secretary of State,

We are writing about the autumn budget and how it must deliver more funding for schools.

Since 2010, there has been an 8 per cent cut in real terms for per pupil funding. This has had an enormous impact on education, leaving our schools in crisis.

We call on you to support the following to urgently address the funding crisis.

1. Reverse school cuts now

This academic year began with more cuts to education provision and staffing in schools. The budget must ensure that every school is guaranteed at least the same money per pupil, in real terms, as they did in 2015.

2. New money from the Treasury

Existing Government plans mean real terms cuts in funding and education provision. The budget must provide genuinely new money for schools, not funds taken from other areas of education spending. At least £2.8 billion more is required every year just to maintain funding in real terms in the face of inflation, cost increases and rising pupil numbers.

3. High needs, early years and post-16 education fairly funded

Funding must also be increased for high needs and early years pupils and post-16 students, who have suffered even bigger cuts since 2010.

4. A five-year funding plan

With pupil numbers rising and costs increasing, schools need a guarantee of how much money they will receive for the next five years.

5. Historic underfunding addressed

Schools in historically underfunded areas must receive extra by levelling them up to better funded areas. Fair funding won’t be achieved by taking money away from some schools to give to others. There must be enough new money to make a difference for every pupil, wherever they live.

6. All pay rises fully funded and implemented

The Government must implement the recommendations of the independent School Teachers’ Review Body in full. The cost of pay awards and agreements for teachers, sixth form college tutors and support staff must be fully funded, so that schools and colleges are not forced to make cuts to give staff a pay rise.

We hope you will support these reasonable requests and ensure that our schools and staff receive the funding they need to ensure that all children and young people have the best possible education.

Yours sincerely,

James Frith, MP for Bury North

Barbara Keeley, MP for Worsley & Eccles South

Sir David Crausby, MP for Bolton North East

Yvonne Fovargue, MP for Makerfield

Ann Coffey, MP for Stockport

Kate Green, MP for Stretford & Urmston

Jim McMahon, MP for Oldham West & Royton

Liz McInnes, MP for Heywood & Middleton

Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central

Angela Rayner, MP for Ashton-under-Lyne

Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton & Reddish

Jonathan Reynolds, MP for Stalybridge & Hyde

Jo Platt, MP for Leigh

Mike Kane, MP for Wythenshawe & Sale East

Jeff Smith, MP for Manchester Withington

Ivan Lewis, MP for Bury South

Afzal Khan, MP for Manchester Gorton

Yasmin Qureshi, MP for Bolton South East

Debbie Abrahams, MP for Oldham East & Saddleworth

Tony Lloyd, MP for Rochdale

 

CC – Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer