A WEAVER Vale MP joined school leaders and governors across the north west to fight the school funding crisis.

On Friday, February 1, Mike Amesbury MP joined more than 50 school leaders, teachers and governors from across Cheshire in Crewe for the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) Cheshire Education Summit 2019.

Joined by MPs and parents, delegates discussed the impact cuts to school funding is having on schools in the region.

Across Halton, Cheshire East, and Cheshire West and Chester authorities, 96 per cent of schools will face cuts.

The collective loss to school budgets across the three authorities will be £26.7 million by 2020, compared to 2016.

In Halton, approximately 50 out of 55 schools will face cuts and the authority will see a £3.9 million loss to school budgets.

Rob Kelsall, national secretary of NAHT, said: "We are seeing a sharp rise in the number of pupils being taught in super-size classes, vital support for children with special needs being taken away and some schools even having to close early and move to a four-and-a-half-day week in order to make the books balance.

"319 out of 332 schools across Halton and Cheshire face funding cuts.

"The situation is untenable and we are calling on politicians on all sides to join with us and end this crisis right now.

"The children and young people of Cheshire are our future.

"They deserve a first-class education service."

The impact of the funding crisis on individual schools can be looked up on the School Cuts website.