'End injustice and make funding fairer for our kids'

End a long-standing injustice by making funding fairer for children in a county where each pupil gets £5,000 less per year than the best supported areas, a petition states.

In what is believed to be the first case of its kind in the UK, Gloucestershire County Council has launched a petition asking central government to "make funding fairer" for its roads and schools.

One teacher said they have to choose between repairing leaky roofs or paying for new books, while about £90m is needed to make essential repairs to the county's roads.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "We're fixing an outdated funding system, so money goes where need is greatest."

Head teacher Caroline Parker said tight budgets mean she and other school leaders in the county are having to make compromises between learning resources, teachers and school building maintenance.

This is echoed by Delphi, 9, from Gloucester Road Primary school, Cheltenham, who said she would love to have newer pens so she can colour in pictures without them looking "very light".

Council figures show the authority will see a £6m real-terms reduction in funding from Westminster over the coming three years.

The petition claims there are five areas which the county needs specific help, including schools, the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) department, road maintenance, adult social care and the costs of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

It states that children are given £5,000 less per pupil each year compared to the best supported areas.

Parker, who has more than 200 children at her school, said, "It's really difficult for us in Gloucestershire to keep up with other counties that are funded better than we are."

She said the school works hard to provide the very best outcomes for its children and, while it is a very happy environment, staff are struggling to find the money for basic equipment.

"We have to spend money on our buildings instead of on the children.

"The buildings are old and not fit for purpose, with leaking roofs.

"We've got to find that money from somewhere, and that's taken away from the children's books, pencils and pens," she said.

Soloman, 9, said he would like to see some "better learning equipment" for "everyone's benefit".

"The whiteboard pens go down quite quickly just because everybody's needing them… so it would help us with not like having to always go and get a new pen every time you begin maths," he added.

Delphi said she would like the school to invest more money in classrooms and normal pens as some are "very light" when she's trying to do her colouring.

Council chiefs want 10,000 people in the county to sign the petition.

If the figure is reached councillor Lisa Spivey, council leader, said she will deliver it personally to the steps of 10 Downing Street for Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

"This isn't about getting more, it's about getting a fair deal and I think that it's only right that government should be paying for that," she said.

"I think [the petition] will send a really powerful message to give [the government] that proof that people really care."

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government added: "We're making £693m available for Gloucestershire by 2028/29, an increase of 16.5% since 2024-25, so that local leaders can invest in high-quality public services."

Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.