In December, following the launch by the Government of a consultation process to reform the Schools' Funding Formula, I met with the Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, and his team in the Department of Education. At the meeting, I sought an explanation as to why a mechanism which was supposed to deliver fairer funding to schools in rural areas has delivered a proposal which will benefit 16 of the schools in the constituency but leaves 23 with reduced funding. At this meeting, which took place less than a week after the proposals were announced, I was given a detailed explanation as to how the model was produced and we discussed options which would help my local schools. 

In January, I wrote to the Schools Minister as a follow up and explained that schools in my constituency were experiencing challenges with balancing their budgets due to increased costs to wages and benefits which are rightly being awarded by the Conservative Government as part of a plan to reward teachers and all other workers. Whilst this is welcome, it is leading to increased funding difficulties. I have asked for the new funding mechanism to be reviewed in order to help my local schools and for certain costs to be transferred away from schools.