PARENTS across Hexham have voiced concerns that the education of their children could suffer due to mounting funding pressures.

Despite hopes that the proposed new National Funding Formula would address inherent unfairness in the system, historically under-funded schools, such as Queen Elizabeth High School and Hexham Middle School, are due to receive even less income if the proposals go ahead.

A recent report by the National Audit Office says that schools across the country face an eight per cent real-terms reduction in funding by 2019/20.

And it’s against that backdrop that executive headteacher of the two schools, Graeme Atkins, took the “unprecedented step” last week of writing to parents to ask for contributions to help plug the gap.

“The allocation for schools under the National Funding Formula is not a panacea,” Mr Atkins told the Courant.

“The reality is that all schools are going to face a cut in day-to-day funding over the next few years because there is fundamentally not enough money in the national pot to meet schools’ needs.

“What we are trying to do is relieve some of the immediate pressure that this creates by asking parents to make a voluntary contribution.

“It’s not a step we’ve taken lightly and the response has been overwhelmingly positive and sympathetic.”

But could this move, which parent-teacher group PTA-UK found is being considered by a third of schools nationally, spell the end for state education as we have known it for the last 70 years?

Hexham’s Conservative MP Guy Opperman was quick to point out that many small rural schools would be much better off under the proposals, which were the subject of a national consultation which closed last Wednesday.

And while acknowledging that schools across the county have been underfunded for decades, he believes the new NFF would mean schools in the Hexham constituency would actually see an average two per cent increase, with a one per cent average increase across Northumberland.

His figures are at odds with claims from the Northumberland Labour group, which suggest the county is set to lose out by over £10m, with pupil spending dropping by a whopping £260 per head on average.

The Labour-run council has joined scores of local authorities in writing to the Prime Minister about school funding fears.

It’s one of 38 representatives of the f40 group – a group of the lowest-funded education authorities in England – who have warned that the Government’s proposed formula seems to be weighted more towards “maintaining stability than achieving fairness”.

But what do parents think?

“The cuts to state schools in our region are a disgrace,” said Peter Davies, who has a son and daughter at Hexham Middle School.

“But my stance on this is that giving the school money would set a precedent.

“It’s important to send a message to the Government that they need to do better.

“These are state schools and parents should not be subsiding their running costs. People are genuinely concerned their kids’ education will suffer.”

Lucy Attenborough, who has a son at Hexham Middle School and two other children at the Sele First School, said: “I don’t think this is a sustainable solution in the long term.

“Asking families to donate from their incomes, many of which won’t have risen in line with the cost of living, is quite shocking.”

Dad of two Hexham Middle School pupils, Toby Price, asked: “Where does it stop?

“One of the main reasons we relocated from Spain in 2010 was for the education of our girls.

“But when I look at the way things have gone over the last seven years, it’s really sad.”

While in Spain, Toby acknowledged he had to pay 200-300 euros at the beginning of the year to cover the cost of the books and materials that would be used by his daughters.

“But everybody knew that was the case; it had been that way for many years, so there wasn’t a problem.

“To suddenly have schools asking parents for support is worrying. Allowing school funding to get into this mess is a dangerous game for the Government to play.”

Carol Marshall, who has children at both schools, said she had a lot of sympathy with their position.

“I think a lot of parents will give what they can, but it’s the principle of it that I’m not comfortable with,” she said.

“And what about those that really can’t afford it, but will feel pressured into it anyway.”

Mum of two, Suzanne Fairless-Aitken, said: “The letter is very telling.

“Most parents completely sympathise with the school and find it quite incredible that they have found themselves backed into such a corner they feel they have no other choice.”

However, the Department for Education says the schools budget has been protected and, in 2016-17, was the highest on record at over £40bn.

l The outcome of the consultation on the National Funding Formula will be announced in due course.