Andrew spoke in support of the Education Secretary in the House yesterday, following her announcement of a new National Funding Formula  - a plan for a fairer settlement for schools that will advantage all the comprehensive schools used by his constituents and most of the primaries.

Matravers, Kingdown, St Augustines, St Lawrence, John of Gaunt, Clarendon, Gillingham and Shaftesbury schools would all have had better funding this year had the new formula applied, and will get an uplift when the changes are implemented.

Andrew said:

"This is all about fairness. Areas like ours have been ignored for too long in favour of large conurbations meaning children here with equal educational need have received a thinner slice of available resources.

"The new formula takes fuller account of cost drivers such as sparsity of population and mobility which will advantage schools in the South West.

"I warmly congratulate the Government for listening to MPs who represent relatively underfunded areas like ours and hope the changes will be implemented without delay."

According to DfE figures, had the NFF beenin place now, Clarendon School, John of Gaunt and St Augustine in Trowbridge would have had respectively 6.3%; 4.7%; and 0.8% better funding, Matravers in Westbury 3.9%; Kingdown in Warminster 3.3%; St Lawrence in Bradford on Avon 0.7%; Gillingham school 1.5%; and Shaftesbury school 2.1%.

The proposals which the Government seeks to introduce in 2018-19 are now open for consultation via the Department for Education website.