News

Following the Borough of Poole’s involvement in a campaign to the Government for fairer funding for education, the f40 group have announced that out of 55,000 responses to the recent consultation on the new funding system, 53,000 were from f40 campaigners.

The f40 group have asked that their thanks be passed on to Members and officers at Poole Council and to all those that have given their time and effort in campaigning for fairer funding for schools in the Borough.

Cllr Brian Clements, Leader of the Council, said: "It is encouraging that so many people across the country recognise the inequality in funding for the nation’s school children. Pupils in Poole receive a high standard of education but to provide this we are dependent on adequate financial support from the Government. We are committed to providing the best for our young people and better funding will help us achieve that."

For each pupil in primary education Poole’s education authority currently receives £278 less than an average LEA and £1,301 less than those that receive highest funding. At secondary level the difference is even greater. Poole receives £2,806 for each pupil compared with the average of £3,139 and for each pupil that attends a school in one of the highest funded LEAs the figure is £4,487. Of the four options the Government faces on funding two could leave Poole with a further loss of £1.2m per year.

At the launch of Poole’s involvement with the f40 group Ashley Pellegrini, Headteacher of Ashdown School, said: "For many years, I have had to explain to parents that Poole is one of the worst funded education authorities in the country. They cannot understand why their children are worth less than those in Hampshire. Fair funding gives my students a chance to start from the same baseline as others of their age."

The consultation, which ended on 30 September, aimed to review the current distribution of funding to LEAs in the UK.

The new funding system is due to be in place by April 2003.