THE fight for an increase in schools funding has stepped up a notch.

More than 10,000 letters were sent home to parents last week, highlighting the funding crisis faced by schools in Carlisle.

Since then, hundreds have signed a petition calling for the Government to act and schools in other parts of Cumbria have backed the fight.

It was announced this week that Parliament will debate the Increase Funding For Schools petition on March 4.

The petition has been signed by 1,431 people in Carlisle and 332 people in Penrith and the Border. It gathered 10,000 more signatures in less than a week and yesterday was sitting at a total of more than 73,000.

In an unprecendented move, headteachers from 33 schools in the Carlisle area wrote to parents to warn funding has been cut by £1.3m since 2013/ 2014 - a reduction of £395 per pupil.

Clem Coady, headteacher at Stoneraise School, said: “We have had such a positive response from the parents across all of Carlisle and beyond. They have been messaging via social media saying they understand where schools are coming from and and the picture that schools paint in the letter is the reality they see."

Leaders say the central government grant for state schools has not kept pace with the rise in costs since 2010 and schools are working tirelessly to “make ends meet”, though the situation is becoming unsustainable and “unacceptable”.

The Department for Education provided countywide figures it its response.

It said that since 2017 every local authority has been given more money for every pupil in every school. In 2019/2020 it said Cumbria is receiving £285m in total, an increase of 3.2 per cent per pupil compared to 2017/2018.

But Mr Coady said that 3.2 per cent increase is still a net loss when there is an 8.3 per cent cut in real terms since 2013/2014. He said it doesn't take into account additional costs, greater pensions costs and insurance.

"It will still be a real term loss in the classroom. We won't see that money coming into the classroom," said Mr Coady.

"[The DfE] will only say a soundbite or they will only present part of the story without representing the true facts. They will never talk about the additional amount of pupils or the job losses. They just say ' record funding' because they gets their political soundbite across without going into the details.

"We just want a transparent and clear debate. If they want to reduce the funding, they need to come out and say that."

He continued: "The message has definitely got across in Carlisle. Different areas of Cumbria have been in touch to ask how they can replicate it in their areas. They will be sending out letters soon.

"It has gained attraction in Carlisle but also Cumbria as a whole."

Councillor Sue Sanderson, Cumbria County Council's cabinet member for education, has rung the alarm bell over Government funding for schools in Cumbria.

Following the unprecedented move by schools in Carlisle, she told a cross-party scrutiny panel of councillors: “Funding is a major, major issue and you won’t be surprised to hear that.

“It’s a national issue and is being pursued by every form of organisation involved in education.”

Sign the petition here.