Sir Nicholas Soames MP has welcomed the announcement of a consultation on new national Fair Funding Formula for Schools.  The announcement is the culmination of months of lobbying by local MPs including direct meetings with the Prime Minister and Chancellor.  For historic reasons West Sussex is one of the worst funded areas in the country – receiving some £80m less over the last five years than other counties - a situation local MPs have been determined to change.

Mid Sussex MP, Nicholas Soames, said; “This was a Conservative Manifesto commitment which we have pushed hard to see honoured rapidly.  I was delighted by the announcement which should result in Fairer Funding for our schools.”

While the news on the Fair Funding Formula is positive MPs are less sanguine about securing additional funds to “bridge” the gap between now and the introduction of the new formula from 2017.  The urgency of the introduction of the new formula for counties such as West Sussex will be addressed in the Consultation, but MPs had hoped that more funds could be made available immediately - given cost pressures this now seems unlikely.