A LEADING Tory councillor has written to the Government asking for more money for Devon’s schools.

The letters from James McInnes, deputy leader of Conservative-controlled Devon County Council, to the prime minister and education secretary come as new figures show pupils in Devon’s schools get £223 less in funding than the national average.

Cllr McInnes, who chairs a national campaign group for fair education funding, said the process to ‘level up’ funding was ‘very slow’ and schools in some areas continue to receive far less funding than schools in other areas as many of the historic inequalities continue to be locked in.”

He explained how education funding has not kept pace with inflation and, in real terms, remained at 2010 levels, adding: ‘Education requires a substantial uplift to ensure schools are able to provide quality teaching for all.”

Outlying how the pandemic has badly disrupted children’s education, Cllr McInnes said: ‘We believe that in years to come we will be judged on how well we supported our children and how we invested in our schools so it’s vital that we act now to prevent irrevocable long-term damage.

‘We welcome the additional funding already provided. However more needs to be done to enable schools to provide extra support and learning to help pupils recover academically and emotionally from the pandemic which has placed greater stress on already tight budgets.

Devon currently receives £5,145 per pupil compared to the England average of £5,368.

Councillor Alan Connett (Lib Dem, Exminster & Haldon), opposition leader of the county council, said Devon’s children were ‘being cheated’ as a result.

‘The Conservatives on Devon County Council make this ritual plea to their own ministers for more funding time and time again. However, little is achieved. Devon continues to be short-changed,” Cllr Connett said. He added: ‘Schools are cutting budgets and have reduced staff because they are not getting the money they need to maintain services and provide the best education possible, and they would benefit greatly if only the government played fair with Devon.

‘In the main, Devon, with all its Conservative councillors and all its Conservative MPs, gets nothing or very little while the government ‘levels up’ elsewhere. Devon children deserve better. They deserve fair funding and the best education possible.’

In his letter, Cllr McInnes also highlights to the Government the severe pressure which many councils are under in spending on children with special educational needs (SEND).

Devon currently has a £49 million overspend on SEND set aside in a seperate ring-fenced account, on instruction of the government, with a £33 million overspend currently projected in this financial year.

It remains unclear what will happen to these negative balances being held by local authorities when the three-year ring-fencing arrangement ends in April 2023.

Cllr McInnes said: ‘This continues to be a major concern. The number of children with special educational needs, and their complexity of need, continues to grow, with demand far outstripping budgets.

‘While we appreciate the increase in SEND funding during the last two or three years, significant additional funding is required for both mainstream and special schools. We urge the government to publish the long-overdue SEND review and to overhaul the SEND system to ensure it is fit for purpose.’

Cllr Connett said: ‘The SEND funding is a national scandal because the overspend is now £50 million. In effect, this is the county council’s credit card being bent backwards to maintain really important services for the most vulnerable children with special needs.’

The appeal to the Government for more education funding comes days before the chancellor sets out his autumn budget and the results of his spending review to MPs on Wednesday [27 October].

Councillor Andrew Leadbetter (Conservative, Wearside & Topsham), cabinet member for children’s services and schools, said: ‘Over the coming days … we will hear from all the spending departments about how they need more money. The chancellor will, of course, be seeking to recoup some of the billions of pounds he has spent on the pandemic but it is vital that we invest in our children and their education because the future of our country depends on them achieving their potential. I am completely behind this appeal to the prime minister and the education secretary to make spending on our children and their education a top priority.’