A FUNDING package which it is claimed will see York’s schools become the worst funded in the country should be reviewed immediately, according to a York political party.

The city’s Liberal Democrats will use a motion at full council on December 14 to call on City of York Council to write to Education Secretary Justine Greening urging her to reconsider York’s position.

Under the new Schools National Funding Formula, the Lib Dems claim the Government is imposing real term cuts on schools by freezing per-pupil funding, while inflation and school costs, such as staff salaries, employer pensions and national insurance contributions, increase.

Britain’s biggest teaching union, the National Education Union, has previously said many of the city’s schools would be tens of thousands of pounds worse off by 2019/20 compared to 2015/16.

However, the Department for Education claimed the union’s figures were “fundamentally misleading” and based on “historical” data.

Lib Dem Cllr Ashley Mason, who is submitting the motion, said: “Every child deserves the best possible start in life and an excellent education is fundamental to achieving this. The Government’s school funding proposals will make it difficult for schools to meet the increasing demand of pupil numbers or address the growing national crisis in teacher recruitment and retention.”

Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central, added: “In York, our schools have gone from the seventh worst funded area in the country to the bottom of the table.

“The cuts from the new funding formula will result in schools having to cut experienced and dedicated teaching and support staff, enlarge class sizes and will result in fewer opportunities for York’s children. The Government needs to go back to the drawing board again.”

Cllr Stuart Rawlings, the council’s executive member for education, said funding per-pupil is not being frozen.

He added: “Although school funding remains a challenge, all York’s schools will receive an increase as a result of the introduction of the fair funding model. The introduction of the fair funding model finally addresses historical funding issues. However, I will continue to push the case for York at every opportunity.”