Local schools worst funded - Lib Dems pledge boost

12.00.00am GMT Mon 1st Feb 2010

Schools in Weston-super-Mare and North Somerset are among the worst funded in the country - but they would received a £7.6 million boost under plans announced by the Liberal Democrats.

North Somerset schools are the thirteenth worst funded in England - out of 148 Local Education Authorities. The average amount of per pupil funding is £4,310 - compared to an English national average of £4,690.

Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg has this week set out the Liberal Democrat manifesto commitment for a Pupil Premium that would invest around £7.6 million of extra cash in North Somerset schools, raising the funding for disadvantaged pupils to private school levels.

Mike Bell, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Weston-super-Mare said: "It's nothing short of a scandal that children in Weston and North Somerset continue to lose out under Labour.

"Our schools are the thirteenth worst funded out of more than 140 education authorities in England. Under Lib Dem plans local schools would get more, with the extra help targeted at those children who most need the extra help."

Under the Liberal Democrat proposals schools would be allocated extra cash based on the number of children eligible for free school meals. For each pupil in that category schools would receive an average of £2,500 extra to spend on their own local priorities.

For a typical secondary school like Priory Community School that could mean around £400,000 extra - enough to pay for smaller class sizes or extra lessons for those who most need them. For a primary school, like Windwhistle Primary School, the Pupil Premium would see a boost of around £100,000 in their funding.

The Liberal Democrat policy would cost £2.5bn a year nationally, and would be introduced in the second year of the new Parliament after the Lib Dem jobs stimulus package. The Pupil Premium plan will be paid for from savings in Government including reforms to tax credits (which will save £1.5bn) and administrative savings in the Department for Education and quangos (which save an additional £1bn).