Marching again: School communities to protest over education funding

Pupils, parents and teaching staff are set to protest in September over school funding.

A march has been planned for September 27, starting at Parker’s Piece and heading to the Guildhall. It will take place at the same time as a national march outside the Houses of Parliament in London.

Cambridgeshire is one of the worst funded education authorities in England. The county receives £400 less per child than the average funded authority and £1,600 less per child than Westminster.

Funding for the county’s schools has not kept pace with inflation over recent years and although two-thirds of Cambridgeshire schools saw a modest increase in funding for 2018-19, this has been eroded by increasing costs including salary and pension increases, growing recruitment costs, inflation and the apprenticeship levy.

In June, Fulbourn Primary School announced it will be cutting teaching time by two hours from September, and other schools are being supported financially by parents’ donations.