Sunday 28 December 2014

Local High Schools get share of extra £12m as part of our Fairer Funding Campaign - local High School specifics explained

In 2014 my campaign to change the rules on schools funding scored a £12 Million success. The new agreement secured from the Government gives a fairer funding deal for our schools.

For many decades our county has had one of the worst funded education authorities. The changes I have been able to help secure will deliver an extra £12 million for Northumberland's schools.
The breakdown locally will mean that next April 2015:
- Haydon Bridge High School will see its funding increase by £170,000,
- while Prudhoe High School will receive an extra £205,000, and a rebuild starting in the spring.
- QEHS in Hexham will get an extra £256,000 and
- Ponteland High School will get an extra £252,000.

At the height of this long campaign I was able to bring Schools Minister, David Laws, MP, to Tynedale to hear the case for fairer schools funding, and let specific teachers make the case to him. He also had a tour of Hexham QEHS, which is next on the list for our attempts to get substantial capital improvements to the aged school infrastructure.

It is great that we have been able to secure a £12m victory for our campaign. I will be continuing my fight for long term fairer funding for our local schools.