RICHMOND MP Rishi Sunak said he was confident that small rural schools had a bright future during a visit to one of the smallest primary schools in his constituency.
Mr Sunak said new funding arrangements due to be introduced should see schools like Melsonby Methodist Primary School receive an improved share of national funding.
He said he had campaigned with other MPs to change the existing formula which unfairly favoured urban schools. In the Budget earlier this year, the Chancellor had backed up the move to revise the formula with an additional £500m a year.
During his visit, Mr Sunak met parents and staff who asked him a number of questions – including the status of small schools like Melsonby.
He said: “I know how important small schools are in rural areas, not just in terms of providing education close to home but also because of small schools’ anchor role in rural communities. If a community loses its school it loses an important part of its fabric.
“The Government has agreed to address the unfairness which sees schools in North Yorkshire receive hundreds of pounds per pupil less than some urban areas and it has backed that up with money.”
An initial consultation exercise on the new funding formula has come just come to an end. It is expected the new arrangements will be in place for 2020.
During his visit, Mr Sunak heard about Melsonby’s informal collaboration with the nearby village schools at Ravensworth, near Richmond, and Barton, near Darlington, which saw Year 6 pupils from the three schools being taught together for some lessons.
He said “We now have many examples of collaboration involving both small and large schools in the Richmond constituency and I applaud these initiatives to make the best use of resources to improve the learning experience and outcomes for pupils.
“Through such arrangements we can have the best of both worlds – the benefits of community in small schools and the sharing of resources and best practice, along with better socialisation opportunities for children, when schools work together.”
Mr Sunak was shown round the school by a group of pupils – including Nathaniel Morton, Eleanor Harland and Bena Slack – and saw their classmates reading and writing. In a design and technology class, he spoke to the children about the model boats they were making out of wood and polysterene which they planned to launch in the stream opposite the school.
He also spoke to the school council about being an MP and answered questions about his work. He explained how Parliament worked and that democracy at Westminster operated on the same basic principles used to elect their school council.
Mr Sunak was welcomed to the school by headteacher Trevor Watson and the chair of governors Judith Stansfield.