A GROUP of 16 head teachers from schools in the Kendal area have taken the bold step of jointly signing a letter to parents spelling out their concern over the education funding crisis.

The letter, issued via school umbrella body Kendal Collaborative Partnership, urges parents to support their campaign pressing the Government for an urgent increase in funding.

The heads explain that schools have been forced to cut back on a host of areas including teaching and non-teaching staff, support for the most vulnerable pupils, resources and equipment and repairs to school buildings.

The heads note that since 2013/14, funding in Westmorland and Lonsdale had been cut by £2.4 million, the equivalent of £190 per pupil.

“As head teachers, collectively we are saying this is simply not good enough.”

And their appeal has been backed by MP Tim Farron, who told the House of Commons last week the head teachers had reached “breaking point” and had been driven to make the “unprecedented” move of signing the joint letter.

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And he quoted a letter he had received from a Kendal head teacher.

Mr Farron said the head had written that: “All we get is hackneyed and frankly quite pathetic suggestions from the Department for Education on how to economise. I love my job, but I do not wish to be the head of a school in a state system on route to economic meltdown.”

The letter was signed by the heads of Castle Park Primary, St Thomas’s CE Primary, Vicarage Park CE Primary, Crosthwaite CE Primary, St Mark’s CE Primary, Kirkbie Kendal School, Ghyllside Primary, St Oswald’s CE Primary, Queen Katherine School, Grayrigg CE Primary, Selside CE Primary, Sandgate School, Heron Hill Primary, Dean Gibson RC Primary, Kendal Nursery School and Stramongate Primary.