FUNDING for schools in the York Outer constituency is set to rise by six per cent, with at least one school getting as much as 12 per cent more, its MP has revealed.

Julian Sturdy says the rise in per-pupil funding in 2020/21 compares with a four per cent increase nationwide, and starts to address historic underfunding for the city's schools.

He said the average increase in school funding across the whole City of York Council area is 5.38 per cent.

He said York’s primary schools will benefit the most from funding increases, with Woodthorpe and Yearsley Grove receiving 11 per cent and 12 per cent rises respectively.

He said the new figures, released by the Department for Education, suggested that progress was finally being made towards levelling up education funding for schools in different parts of the country, which had seen per-pupil funding in York Outer amongst the lowest in the country.

“After years of campaigning alongside other MPs for a fairer funding system, I am glad to see that the Government are finally closing the gap in per-pupil funding between different areas of the country," he said.

"With the best funded schools receiving over £3,000 more per pupil than the worst, it will take some time for the problem to be fully addressed, but this is a step in the right direction.

"I pay tribute to all of our schools who despite these challenges deliver an excellent standard of education in York and thoroughly deserve the cash boost to help ease pressure on their budgets.”