EXTRA funding will be given to schools in Devon and Cornwall in 2015 and 2016 after a 'history of unfair allocations' following the Government's announcement that funding will be based on characteristics of pupils and schools.

Liberal Democrat Minister David Laws announced the funding on Thursday, March 13; a total of £350million will be made available country wide, with priority given to those with high numbers of pupils from deprived backgrounds. Devon schools will receive £16.2million extra, and Cornwall will receive £3.5million.

Headteacher at Budehaven David Barton said: "The additional funding announced in Parliament yesterday for schools in Cornwall equates to £54 per pupil from April 2015. This is a very welcome first step towards the equalisation of fairer funding across the country. For decades Cornwall alongside many other underfunded authorities have been urging governments to address this unfairness, so we are very pleased that the Minister has given a commitment to tackle this."

Principal of Holsworthy Community College David Fitzsimmons said: "It may appear churlish to be critical of additional funding in a time of economic austerity. I feel as though I have found six pence and lost half a shilling in old money. The recent announcement of an extra £350 million for previously poorly funded authorities is a promise of a one-off hand out for the financial year 2015 to 2016 and does nothing to help schools in the rapidly approaching 2014 to 2015 financial year, when several secondary schools in Devon are in the middle of a redundancy process, especially schools with Sixth Forms, as school post-16 finance is brought into line with FE College funding."

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