The county council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learning will write to the Secretary of State for Education to supporting calls for an urgent schools funding review, following a vote by members.
West Sussex County Council voted to support a notice of motion calling for fairer school funding and renewed national action to address long-standing disparities affecting schools across the county.
The motion, proposed by Councillor Kirsten Sutton and passed at a meeting of Full Council on Friday 17 July, follows concerns raised by headteachers across West Sussex about the ongoing financial pressures facing schools and the impact on pupils, staff and educational provision. Councillors across the chamber from all parties agreed to support the motion
Members heard that, despite the introduction of the National Funding Formula in 2018, West Sussex remains among the lowest-funded local authorities in England for both primary and secondary school funding. The motion also highlighted concerns that current funding arrangements do not adequately reflect the county’s labour market and housing costs, creating additional challenges for schools in recruiting and retaining staff.
The motion follows a letter sent by headteachers from across West Sussex to the county’s Members of Parliament in May 2026, expressing what they described as their “profound and growing concern regarding the chronic underfunding of our schools”.
Following support from county councillors, it was agreed that the Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Learning will write to the Secretary of State for Education to support West Sussex headteachers’ call for an urgent review of the National Funding Formula, including the methodology used to calculate the Area Cost Adjustment and the distribution of mainstream school funding.
The council will also call for:
- Annual minimum per-pupil funding increases to keep pace with inflation.
- Full government funding of nationally agreed teacher and support staff pay awards.
- A visit by the Minister for School Standards to West Sussex schools to see first-hand the impact of current funding arrangements.
- Support from West Sussex MPs for reforms that better reflect local labour market and housing costs.
- Continued joint lobbying with school leaders, academy trusts, governors and the f40, a cross-party campaign group representing 43 local authorities in England that receive some of the lowest levels of education funding per pupil, for a fairer national funding settlement.
The motion notes that every child in West Sussex deserves access to a high-quality education funded fairly and sustainably, and that funding inequalities can limit educational opportunities and schools’ ability to invest in staffing, infrastructure, SEND provision and wider educational support.
West Sussex County Council will continue to work with schools, education partners and national organisations to advocate for reforms that deliver a fairer funding settlement and help ensure children and young people across the county have access to the best possible educational opportunities.
