A CUMBRIAN MP wants the Government to step in to help save county schools from proposed funding cuts.

Schools across the county could see three per cent wiped from their 2017-18 funding as Cumbria County Council looks to claw back more than £8m.

Headteachers say they may have to shed staff and cut provision for children if budgets are slashed as the council seeks to find ways to address spiraling costs of helping children with special needs.

The clawback is one of a number of measures currently being consulted upon.

Others include increasing the number of "alternative provision" places around the county to avoid sending children with behaviourial and other special needs outside of Cumbria for schooling.

Cumbria County Council says there has been an 80 per cent increase in the amount of requests from schools to help children with "high needs" in the last two years.

Current levels of funding for special needs provision are based on 2013 figures.

South Lakes MP Tim Farron is calling on the government to provide up-to-date figures to help calculate how much special needs funding is needed.

He has also launched an online petition.

Mr Farron said: "The government is trying to sneak in severe cuts through the back door by not using up-to-date figures to work out budgets. Unless the government uses the latest figures, it will force schools to cut funding from their teaching budgets in order to make up for this shortfall. "Cumbria’s schools do a fantastic job, but they now face a cut of almost £6million. Without the necessary funding, our children’s education will suffer.

"The higher needs funding is still based on 2013 figures, despite the fact that it now needs to cover 80% more pupils, leading to a massive effective cut. I am deeply concerned about the impact this will have."