'It's time to fund our schools properly' as heads and unions call a public meeting
It's claimed the budgets of some schools here in Devon are thousands below schools in other areas
Last updated 3rd Mar 2026
Ahead of the Chancellor taking to her feet for the Spring Statement, headteachers and unions here in Devon are calling for pupils to get equal funding.
A public meeting has been called for next week as schools leaders warn their budgets can be thousands of pounds below other areas - as pupils here can expect an average £200 funding shortfall.
The meeting is being held at 5.30pm on Thursday 12 March at Exeter Library on Castle St, Exeter, organised by the unions NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, GMB and UNISON.
Steve Hitchcock, speaking on behalf of the unions, and president of school leaders’ union NAHT’s Devon branch, said: “Schools were clear in voting this down. To then apply to overturn that decision has caused real anger across the profession. Schools are already stretched to the limit. Taking more from classroom budgets to plug historic deficits is not a sustainable solution.”
He added: “Many people in Devon simply don’t realise that our pupils attract less funding than children in better-funded parts of the country. This amounts to many tens of thousands of pounds for each school. Devon’s children are not worth less - but the system treats them as if they are. The public deserves to understand what this means for staffing, provision and outcomes.”
Devon is part of the national f40 group - a coalition of the 40 lowest-funded local authorities in England. Historically, school funding has been distributed using national formulas that disadvantage large rural counties like Devon. Factors such as sparsity, transport costs and levels of deprivation have not been fully reflected in allocations, leaving Devon consistently below the national average for per-pupil funding.
We have asked the Department for Education for a response.