Michael has welcomed the Chancellor's commitment to introduce fair school funding as part of today's Comprehensive Spending Review. A new funding 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 authories will receive will be based on pupil characterisitics rather than historic politial calculations. The Department for Education will consult on the detail of the announcement in early 2016.
The Chancellor praised Michael saying he is a "great champion for Poole and Dorset" and that fairer funding will make a "great difference" to schools in the area. The announcement signals the end to the current unfair system, which has lasted for decades and led to a situation where the ten best funding areas of England receive an average of £6,300 per pupil of schools block funding, compared to just £4,200 in the ten worst funding areas - with no objective basis for the difference.
It follows years of campaigning by the F40 Group of poorly-funded local authories, and a concerted Parliamentary campaign to make the issue a top policital priority. In October, Michael was one of 111 MPs who wrote to the Prime Minister to call for fairer funding to be introduced, and on 5 November he demanded action in a debate on this issue in Westminster Hall. On Tuesday 1 December, Michael will join colleagues as petitions from over 100 constituents calling for fair funding will be presented by MPs in the House of Commons chamber.
Speaking after the announcement, Michael said, "I am delighted that the Chancellor has listened to the concerns raised my my colleagues and myself. This has been a key campaign priority for me and I am pleased that our schools will get the fair funding they deserve."
Graham Stuart MP, who serves as Vice Chairman of the F40 Campaign representing the worst-funding authories, said "I am delighted that the Government has committed to introduce a national funding formula for English schools, ending the postcode lottery and means children in Mid Dorset & North Poole 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 consulation, but in principle this represents a huge step forward and is a decision of lasting significance.
I am very grateful to Michael Tomlinson, 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."