Did you know

• Devon gets the fourth lowest Government grant for education in England. We are the 148th lowest funded out of 151 English authorities.
• According to Government funding, every pupil in Devon is worth £375 less than the national average and that cannot be fair.
• Schools face similar costs wherever they are. Staff pay is set nationally, not locally. But Devon schools often pay higher energy bills than other parts of England.

I had been asked to sign a petition from the Hands up for Fairer School Funding campaign for fair funding in Devon Schools http://www.fairfundingfordevonschools.org.uk The petition actually looks like it’s been closed and sent to 10 Downing Street now. I think this is the case when they have enough names on it.

Ten key facts about funding for schools in Devon

1. The Government distributes funding for schools through local councils and each education authority historically has received different funding
2. Devon is the 148th lowest funded out of 151 education authorities in England
3. This year Devon is receiving £3,842 for every pupil
4. The top funded authority in the country – City of London – receives £7,603
5. The national average is £4,217
6. So every pupil in a Devon school is effectively worth £375 less – every year – than the national average.  This amounts to £35 million less funding for Devon children’s education
7. For a 1,000-pupil secondary school in Devon this amounts to £375,000 lost from the budget every year
8. For a 200-pupil primary school in Devon this amounts to £75,000 lost from the budget every year
9. But all schools face similar costs wherever they are. Staff pay is set nationally, not locally
10. And Devon schools often pay higher energy bills and have higher travel costs than other parts of England.