WINSFORD MP Antoinette Sandbach challenged the Prime Minister last week over pupil funding rates in Cheshire, which are some of the lowest in the country.

The Eddisbury MP spoke at Prime Minister’s Questions on Thursday, January 12, raising concerns over the pupil funding in her constituency amid plans to introduce a national funding formula from 2018.

Ms Sandbach said: “Cheshire schools in areas of rurality and areas of high deprivation will receive some of lowest per-pupil funding rates in the country under the proposed funding formula.

“Does the Prime Minister agree that these discrepancies must be addressed to ensure that Eddisbury pupils get the best possible start in life?”

The Prime Minister responded by saying she thought the new funding formula needed to be brought in due to many pupils ‘missing out’ in the past.

Prime Minister Theresa May said: “I think everybody recognises that the way that schools have been funded in the past has been unfair and many pupils have been missing out.

“That is why I think it is right for us to look at bringing forward a new fair funding formula, making sure that funding is attached to children’s needs.

“We recognise the particular issues of rural areas and that is why within the fair funding formula, additional funding for such schools has been included, but of course the Department of Education has this out for consultation at the moment and I would urge my honourable friend to make her representations as part of that consultation.”

The Department for Education is consulting on the funding plans, which a Cheshire West and Chester Council report said would reduce funding to its schools.

The report said figures provided by the consultation showed an overall school funding reduction of £4.2 million for Cheshire West and Chester, 2.3 per cent of current school funding.

Speaking after the event, Ms Sandbach said: “This is an issue of great concern in my constituency and has been raised with me by local head teachers, I believe that these discrepancies must be addressed and I will be making representations as part of the consultation to support my constituents concerns.”