Devon politicians are set to join a national group at Westminster to press the Government for increased funding for the county’s schools.

Members of the F40 group, which represents councils receiving the lowest levels of education funding in England, will meet MPs and ministers to highlight what they say is an imbalance in how money is distributed to schools.

When F40 was formed 20 years ago, its primary concern was the disparity between councils, with some areas receiving up to £5,000 more per pupil than others. While progress has been made since then, the group says funding remains unfair and is now compounded by growing pressures on schools to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

Councillor Denise Bickley, Liberal Democrat member for Sidmouth, will attend the Westminster event on Monday, January 19, alongside Councillor Richard Jefferies, Liberal Democrat for Feniton and Honiton.

“We’re going to ask if they can have another look at our funding,” Cllr Bickley told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“The Government has removed rurality funding from children’s services, which is a real problem for Devon. We need proper funding to improve, and we are still well behind other councils.”

The F40 group is calling on the Government to reform the SEND system, with a focus on early intervention and greater inclusion within mainstream education. It is also seeking additional investment to help schools meet rising demand and changes to the National Funding Formula to ensure a fairer distribution of funding.

Devon schools receive almost £5,000 less per mainstream pupil than the best-funded authorities. SEND funding in the county is around 60 per cent lower than that received by the highest funded areas.

Recent changes in Devon, including the automatic enrolment of eligible pupils for free school meals, have provided a modest financial boost to schools. However, the county’s rural nature continues to present challenges, with higher transport costs and difficulties maintaining small schools where pupil numbers fall.

Kingswear Primary School closed in 2024 following a significant decline in enrolment. The school had 66 pupils in 2017, but by the 2022 to 2023 academic year, numbers had fallen to just 13, five of whom were in their final year.