School funding boost 'too little, too late'

Education Secretary Justine Greening this week revealed cash will be injected into the school system as part of changes to a controversial new funding formula.

But outspoken head Andy Mellor – a senior figure in the National Association of Headteachers – said the cash is nowhere near enough to plug existing funding gaps.

Mr Mellor, the headteacher at St Nicholas Primary School in School Road, Marton, is concerned cash will be taken from other important budgets to make up the figure.

He said: “To be honest it is probably too little, too late.

“Any money into education has to be good money.

“What she has offered up is not new money.

“Some of it comes from funding for mental health projects, which are desperately needed.

“She is going to cut that budget to put into schools general funding.”

Mr Mellor is happy to see cash coming from budgets for new grammar schools but insists the need is greater than the Government recognises.

He said: “It’s basic. When you have limited cash you spend it on the basics, not on luxuries.

“That is now happening.

“But we need new money, they need to find new money from somwehere.

“This sounds a big figure but in reality it won’t go anywhere near solving the issues we have with school funding.”