I had the pleasure of meeting pupils and staff at Langton Primary School near Malton in the last week of term. Headteacher, Rachel Ray, told me about the challenges facing rural schools. It is clear that small rural schools are under pressure regarding recruitment of pupils and financial constraints: a lot of the Headteacher’s time is spent ensuring numbers increase whilst also keeping an eye on the school’s budget.
I welcomed the news, recently announced by the Government, of an additional £1.3 billion for schools funding over the next two years. I have been campaigning hard for fairer funding for our schools in Thirsk and Malton and this additional money will mean an increase in the budget for schools to provide every pupil, no matter where they live, with the best education possible. In total, North Yorkshire schools will receive an extra £7m per annum as a result of my campaign.
Mrs Ray took me for a tour around the school before I took part in a round-table forum with some of the pupils. I very much enjoyed visiting Langton which had a happy and purposeful atmosphere and was very impressed by the excellent questions put to me by the children.