Nick meets local headteacher and Schools Minister to discuss small rural schools funding

Arundel & South Downs MP Nick Herbert met the headteacher of Bury C of E Primary school, Thomas Moore, and the Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, this week (Monday 4 November) to discuss the funding of small rural schools.

The meeting, also attended by officials from the Department for Education, was organised by Mr Herbert after he visited the school and heard Mr Moore’s concerns about the effect of the new National Funding Formula on small primary schools. 

Mr Moore explained the funding challenge in rural primaries, saying that “the shift to pupil-led funding disproportionately favours larger schools at the expense of small ones, whose funding is vulnerable to fluctuating intake numbers from year to year”.

Nick Herbert supported the headteacher’s submission and made the case for a minimum funding floor to maintain local village schools, which he described as “part of the social fabric of rural life in the South Downs”.

He said: “While the general uplift of 12 per cent that West Sussex has secured under the National Funding Formula is great news, it is important that small local schools such as Bury are not left behind in the new calculations.” 

The Schools Minister, and fellow West Sussex MP, Nick Gibb, said: “Mr Moore made a compelling case for changes to future national funding formula arrangements. We always keep the detail of the formula under review.  I have therefore asked officials to look at Mr Moore’s particular proposals for funding policy for small rural schools”. 

After the meeting, Mr Moore tweeted: “Thank you to Nick Gibb for acknowledging the ‘oversight’ that the inclusion of the lump sum negatively impacts small primaries. Sorting this is urgent to safeguard the future of small schools. 

“I look forward to seeing how the Department for Education actively support us all.  Discussions over relooking at the sparsity fund so that all small schools receive it. Also discussed that small schools are a parental preference for some and that it is positive when a family chooses to come to a small school that best supports their child - regardless of their location. 

“A positive meeting where Nick [Gibb] reinforced the support for small schools. Thank you to Nick Herbert for setting it up.  Fingers crossed it has a positive impact for small schools across the country”. 

Mr Herbert said: “I am very grateful to Nick Gibb for making time to meet with us and for responding so constructively to the points raised. 

“Village schools are vital to local parents in our rural communities, and it is important that they do not lose out in the National Funding Formula, especially when it’s good news that schools funding is being increased. 

“The Minister was very responsive, and I am optimistic following this meeting that our concerns will be acted upon.” 

ENDS 

Notes  

1.    Photograph – Nick Herbert discussing small schools funding with headteacher Thomas Moore and Schools Minister Nick Gibb.

2.    Bury Primary School’s website is linked here: http://www.bury.w-sussex.sch.uk/website.

3.    Headteacher, Thomas More’s tweets are linked here: https://twitter.com/mrjuliandicks/status/1191430045358792717.

4.    The Government announcement of the £14 billion school funding boost is linked here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-boosts-schools-with-14-billion-package