West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin today responded to concerns raised by parents and school governors about funding for small local schools across the county. The MP has already written to Education Secretary Michael Gove calling for an improved settlement for rural schools. And today welcomed news that the Department had written with reassurance. Harriett commented: “It’s the first day back in Westminster and I have immediately taken up the fight for our small rural primary schools. "I’ve been contacted by numerous school heads and governors over the recess and I have passed on their concerns and those of the County Council to the Secretary of State. “Small rural primary schools are an important part of the fabric of county life.” “The Department has today written with clarification that the falls in per pupil funding will never go below 1.5 per cent and that the County Council will be able to cross-subsidise schools by up to £200,000 as they had suggested. This should allow the transition to a new national per pupil formula to be made smoother.” “However, Worcestershire schoolchildren still get much less in per pupil funding than those in Birmingham and I will continue the fight for fairer funding for Worcestershire with a fairer per pupil formula.” | Department for Education: 'School funding reform'