William Wragg MP has welcomed the Chancellor’s commitment to introduce fair school funding as part of this week’s Comprehensive Spending Review, following years of campaigning on the issue. On Wednesday, the Chancellor announced new national funding formula for schools, high needs and early years. The formula will set a national rate that every school will receive for each pupil, with additional funding for those with extra needs. Crucially, from 2017-18 onwards the resources schools and local authorities will receive will be based on pupil’s circumstances rather than historic political calculations. The Department for Education will consult on the detail of the announcement in early 2016. The announcement signals an end to the current unfair system, which has lasted for decades and led to a situation where the ten best funded areas of England receive an average of £6,300 per pupil of schools block funding, compared to just £4,200 in the ten worst funded areas. Redressing this imbalance and creating a fairer funding system for Schools has been a political priority for William since being selected as a parliamentary candidate in 2013. He has held meeting with local head teachers and parents and fair schools funding was the subject of William’s first ever parliamentary question after being elected. In October, William was one of 111 MPs who wrote to the Prime Minister to call for fairer funding to be introduced. During his Spending Review statement (November 25th) the Chancellor, George Osbourne said: “We will phase out the arbitrary and unfair school funding system that has systematically underfunded schools in whole swathes of the country. Under the current arrangements, a child from a disadvantaged background in one school can receive half as much funding as a child in identical circumstances in another school. In its place, we will introduce a new national funding formula. I commend the many MPs from all parties who have campaigned for many years to see this day come.” Commenting on the Spending Review William said: “I was delight to be in the House of Commons to hear the Chancellor’s announcement that a new fairer funding system will be brought in for schools. This is something that I and many other MPs have been calling for years. Since becoming an MP I have raised the matter with both the Education Secretary, the Chancellor, and the Prime Minister and this announcement shows we have been listened too, and I thank each of them.” “This news will be welcome to schools throughout the Stockport local authority area, which has been traditionally underfunded, including in my Hazel Grove constituency. I want to thank all the teachers, pupils, and parents who have supported me in this campaign with meetings, letters and petitions. I intend to present the House of Commons with a petition showing the strength of local feeling on this issue on the 1st December and I will be engaging fully with the Department for Education’s consultation in the New Year. It is important that this new policy is implemented fully and swiftly so that local schools get the best deal possible and so we can provide pupils with the future they deserve.”