CHILDREN in Bridgwater are getting a raw deal at school, say the town’s four secondary head teachers in a united attack on Government funding.

They say Somerset schools have fallen victim to a system that is “scandalous” and “inherently unfair” and that children’s education is becoming a postcode lottery.

Haygrove’s Karen Canham, Bridgwater College Academy’s Peter Elliott, Chilton Trinity’s Lesley Greenway and Robert Blake’s Rob Gammon are now appealing to Mercury readers to join their campaign for a fair deal for pupils.

Somerset schools are among the lowest-funded in the UK and get paid £1,332 less per child than neighbouring Bristol.

Only 13 of the 150 local education authorities get less than Somerset.

In their letter, the four head teachers say secondary schools in Bridgwater are likely to suffer from bigger class sizes, fewer support staff and poorer facilities as a result of the unfair funding system.

It reads: “As head teachers we are campaigning to encourage a fairer funding system for schools through the establishment of a national funding formula.

“Our argument is that the quality of education should not be a function of postcode.

“In many ways it is scandalous that the provision for children educated in Somerset is undermined by a system which funds children in vastly different ways according to where they live.”

Peter Elliott, executive head teacher at Bridgwater College Academy, told the Mercury: “It will have an adverse affect on the children of this town.

“One of the main risks is to the ‘value add’ activities like coaching and mentoring, careers advice and one to one help and these are the things we do to support children who may not get that kind of support at home.

Head teacher of Robert Blake Science College, Rob Gammon, said: “The system is inherently unfair to schools in Somerset.

“Between the four schools we have around 4,000 secondary school children and when you add up the difference it shows that we are getting millions of pounds less than schools in Bristol and Exeter for example.”

Karen Canham, head teacher at Haygrove, said it was vital that Bridgwater parents join the fight to put pressure on the Government to come up with a fairer funding formula, rather than basing the entire system on postcodes.

She said: “I am really keen that the whole of the Bridgwater community understands the impact of this on every child in this town.

“I want to stress that our needs are just as great as schools in other areas and that this is such an important issue because it affects every single Bridgwater child.”

Chilton Trinity School’s head teacher, Lesley Greenway, added: “This is thoroughly unfair and cannot be allowed to continue. However these funding figures are worked out, it is scandalous and needs to be altered now.

“Children are missing out across this county.”

At a meeting last week the head teachers explained to the Mercury the need for a “proper formula”

to distribute the cash implemented over three years starting in 2016 because the current method is outdated and has been altered many times over the years.

They also point out that while schools are judged on level playing field in terms of performance, they are now funded on the same equal basis.

They want parents to get behind the campaign and write to local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger.

Speaking to the Mercury, Mr Liddell-Grainger said: “I would be delighted to hear from parents in Bridgwater on this matter and I can put it to the House of Commons.

“All the letters I receive on this I will bundle up and give to the Secretary of State for Education.

“Somerset has always had less funding than other areas – it is totally unfair and the heads are completely right on this and I support their campaign.

“The money our schools get is badly out of proportion compared to other schools and this has been ongoing since I’ve been MP.

“Successive governments have always treated Somerset unfairly. This could be because it has rich parts and very deprived parts – it is an anomaly and I would love to sort it out.

“Why should these schools be punished by an unfair system?”

  • You can write to Ian Liddell-Grainger MP at 16 Northgate, Bridgwater TA6 3EU, or call 01278-458383 or e-mail ianliddellgrainger@hotmail.co.uk