Schools in the Orpington constituency will receive a £1.3 million funding boost after Gareth Bacon MP raised concerns about historic unfairness in school funding across London.
In London, schools funding has increased by 9.6% in real terms from 2013/14 to 2019/20, but funding for Orpington's schools fell by 1.2% in the same period.
After Gareth Bacon MP, called for fairer funding for Orpington's schools, the Secretary of State for Education announced that the constituency's schools would receive a £1.3 million funding boost in 2020/21, which is a 3.5 per cent increase compared to last year and a 3.1 per cent increase per pupil.
Gareth Bacon MP welcomed the announcement saying: "I am pleased Orpington's schools will be getting their fair share from the Government's National Funding Formula after I raised concerns with the Secretary of State for Education.
"Historically, the Government's funding formula has favoured metropolitan areas, and Orpington has lost out. The £1.3 million funding boost will go a long way to addressing the imbalance of school funding across London and is a big step towards fairer funding for Orpington's schools."
"I promised in last December's General Election that I would secure extra funding for Orpington's schools, and I am proud to have delivered on that pledge.
"This funding boost will help ensure that Orpington's children and young people continue to receive an excellent education. It will also be welcome news as schools look to reopen fully in September if we continue to push back and control the coronavirus.
"It's more important than ever that we get fair school funding for Orpington so children can catch up after being out of the classroom for so long. Combined with the Government's £1 billion pot for catch-up tutoring for the country's pupils, this funding boost for Orpington's schools will help get children's education back on track.