Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make it her policy to increase the funding per pupil in Hartlepool constituency in real terms; and if she will make a statement.

We want schools to have the resources they need, and through our careful management of the economy we have been able to protect the core schools budget in real terms. School funding is now at its highest level on record at almost £41bn in 2017-18 - and that is set to rise, as pupil numbers rise, to £42 billion by 2019-20.

We are going to end the historic post code lottery in school funding and under the proposed national schools funding formula, more than half of England’s schools will receive a cash boost.

Our proposals include significant protections so that no school would face reductions of more than 1.5% per year or 3% overall per pupil as a result of this formula, and on high needs funding for pupils with special education needs and disabilities, no area would lose funding at all.

We recognise the increasing cost pressures schools are facing and will continue to provide advice and support to help them use their funding in cost effective ways, and improve the way they buy goods and services, so‎ they get the best possible value for their pupils. We have produced tools, information and guidance for schools financial health and efficiency, which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/schools-financial-health-and-efficiency.