Steve Brine has warmly welcomed news that local schools will now receive a fairer funding deal following George Osborne's Autumn Statement.
The Winchester & Chandler's Ford MP has campaigned in both the last Parliament and this one for the deal, which would reduce variations in funding per pupil across different parts of the country.
The formula will set a national rate that every school will receive for each pupil, with additional funding for those with extra needs. Crucially, from 2017-18 onwards the resources schools and local authorities will receive will be based on pupil characteristics rather than historic political calculations. The Department for Education will consult on the detail of the announcement in early 2016.
Mr Brine is a patron of the cross-party f40 campaign in Parliament, which spent years campaigning to make the issue a top political priority. The group closely examined a wealth of research, including work showing that the ten best funded areas in the country will receive grants of £6,300 per pupil this year compared with just £4,269 in the Winchester constituency.
Steve Brine said: "It is pretty much accepted across the board that these historical differences have been unfair, and that the disparity in funding levels needs to be addressed.
"I was keen to highlight the issue, which was not widely known about, in my last constituency newspaper, and the work we did on the f40 group has been crucial in highlighting these disparities. I am delighted that the Chancellor has recognised these concerns in this Autumn Statement, and on top of the free childcare announcement in the Summer Budget I think local parents will be particularly pleased."
Graham Stuart MP, who serves as Vice Chairman of the f40 Campaign, added: "I am delighted that the Government has committed to introduce a national funding formula for English schools, ending the postcode lottery that means children in Winchester & Chandler's Ford lose out for no good reason. As always, the devil will lie in the detail and we will need to see the full detail of the consultation, but in principle this represents a huge step forward and is a decision of lasting significance.
"I am very grateful to Steve Brine, who has played a big role as a Patron of the Fair School Funding Campaign. He has worked tirelessly to draw attention to the unfair funding gap and today's announcement marks a real breakthrough."
Pictured; Steve chats with pupils from Oliver's Battery Primary School
More information ...
f40 - The Campaign for Fairer Funding in Education
