HALTON secondary schools are set to lose between £29,000 and £118,000 from their budgets under the government’s new funding formula.

However, all but three primary schools will gain money.

Only one secondary school, The Grange in Runcorn, will see an increase of £14,000 or 0.3 per cent because it caters for pupils aged three to 16.

Education secretary Justine Greening said: “Our proposed reforms will mean an end to historical unfairness and underfunding for certain schools.

“We need a system that funds schools according to the needs of pupils rather than their postcode, levelling the playing field and giving parents the confidence that every child will have an equal opportunity to reach their full potential.”

Halton MP Derek Twigg attacked the cuts and fears that pupils across Runcorn and Widnes will suffer.

He said: “It is absolutely unacceptable that our secondary schools are seeing their budgets cut especially given Halton is the 27th most socially deprived borough in England.

“Why should our children be disadvantaged in this way?

“The government recognises the unfair funding but seems to be levelling down not up. Primaries appear to be winners but secondary schools lose out.

“I will be making representations to the Secretary of State urging her to reverse these proposed cuts as the proposals are currently out to consultation.”

In the transitional year 2018/2019 under the new national funding spending on Halton schools will increase by £653,305.

For the first full year 2019/2020 there will be an increase of £2,132,622.

The biggest rise will be in the schools block, the core funding for all pupils in mainstream schools, with an additional £486,000 for 2018/2019 and a further £1.3 million in 2019/2010.

This money also covers the centrally retained budgets that schools can hand back to the local authority to pay for services centrally.

Primary schools set to lose money include Daresbury with a reduced budget of £6,000 (1%), Halebank sees a reduction of £5,000 (1.10%) and Weston loses £9,000 (1.3%).

Losses for Halton’s secondary schools are:

Ormiston Bolingbroke £65,000 (1.5%)

Ormiston Chadwick £59,000 (1.5%)

St Peter and Paul’s Catholic College £100,000

(1.5%) Sandymoor £29,000 (1.4%)

St Chad’s Catholic and CE High School £75,000

(1.5%)

The Heath £77,000 (1.5%)

Wade Deacon £118,000 (1.5%)