SCHOOLS in Okehampton and the surrounding area are to receive a boost in funding next year, as the Government releases its new National Funding Formula for schools and high needs pupils.

Responding to criticism from Devon councillors and MPs at rural schools being short-changed, the provisional settlement sees some schools in Devon set to receive as much as 20% for the academic year of 2018-19.

Central Devon Conservative MP Mel Stride said that all 43 schools in his constituency would be better off. The biggest beneficiaries in West Devon are Highampton, Spreyton, Northlew and Ashbury and Exbourne primary schools, which will receive between 8.9% and 21.5% more funding from 2018/19 compared to 2017/18.

In Okehampton, both schools will see their budgets increase, albeit more modestly. Okehampton Primary School will have a £21,000 increase, or 0.9 per cent of its total budget, and Okehampton College will see its budget rise by 1.6 per cent, which adds up to £106,000.

Mr Stride said: ‘This Government inherited a national funding formula – the amount schools receive per pupil – that was heavily skewed towards urban areas and ignored the costs and challenges associated with running small rural schools.

‘I’m delighted that the final decision fixes the decades-long scandal of rural schools being underfunded while ensuring no school will be worse off. Across the 43 schools in my constituency the average increase in funding from 2018/19 will be 3.9% and pupils with the highest educational needs will also see their funding increase.’

Devon County Council said that schools across the county stood to gain £7.5-million more from the Government’s proposed new funding formula, released by Education Secretary Justine Greening the week before last.

Under the settlement, funding levels are being guaranteed countrywide at £3,500 per primary school pupil and £4,800 for secondary school students.

Devon County Council leader John Hart said the initial formula announced by the Government would have left two thirds of the pupils in Devon’s schools worse off.

‘We campaigned strongly against the previous formula with our schools and MPs, and I told secretary of state for education Justine Greening that the old formula could not stand when I met her earlier this year,’ he said.

‘The Government appears to have listened to our strong and united opposition to the previous formula and also to the national campaigning work we did with the f40 group, which represents the lowest funded education areas.

‘There is still some way to go but I am optimistic that our schools will see significant benefits from the new formula.’

He said there was ‘no doubt that schools in Devon are facing tough times financially’.

‘They still have to find extra money for pay rises, increased National Insurance contributions and the Apprenticeship Levy amongst other pressures, but I am very hopeful that this announcement will go some way to alleviating those pressures and allow our schools to continue providing the above average education and exam results they currently provide,’ he said.

‘The Government is also increasing our high needs budget for our most vulnerable children by £300,000,’ added Mr Hart.

‘This is welcome but it will in no way compensate for all the extra pressures that we face in caring for our children with special education needs.’