WE are writing to MPs Kris Hopkins and Philip Davies because as headteachers of primary schools we are all being forced, once again, to make some very difficult decisions.

Last year, we had to take drastic steps in our budgets, which involved reducing staffing through not recruiting when staff left and having to make staff redundant; we appear to be in similar situations again.

As school leaders, our moral purpose is to provide every child and family with the best education that is possible. As you walk around any of our schools, you see dedicated professionals who want to make a difference for every child and provide them with skills that will help them in their future lives. We aspire to have a world leading education system and it is right that we do. However, we fail to understand how we can deliver this if the country does not fund it properly. There are huge financial pressures on our country, but we neglect the future of our country at our peril.

In addition to other pressures in school budgets, the Bradford Schools Forum has been put into a hugely difficult position because of the reduction in High Needs Provision funding. The gap in this funding has meant that to make provision for some of the most vulnerable in society, money has had to be taken from other children in the district to provide the funding needed. My point is why does the Schools Forum have to make moral decisions that will mean one group of children or another will miss out?

The proposed National Funding Formula for Schools indicates all our schools will lose a significant amount of funding from its implementation in April 2018. Combined with increasing employment costs and other charges, this will mean we will face severe budgetary pressure resulting in losing staff, delaying purchasing of resources and sleepless nights for the people having to make the choices that culminate in providing a learning opportunity for every child that is not as good as it could be.

Our vision as headteachers is that every child deserves the best education and opportunities we can provide. All we ask is we are given the funding to do the job. Many ‘experts’ look at education and because they attended a school think they know everything about it. I am afraid there is a huge amount more to educating the whole child than the bottom line on a spreadsheet. The overwhelming majority of headteachers decided to do the job because, like politicians, we wanted to make a difference. We need the financial support to provide a world class system for every child. That would be a legacy and watershed moment in our country’s history.

We ask you, as a matter of urgency, to write to the Chancellor Philip Hammond to call on him to provide more money for our schools in the Budget in March. We would also like you to contact Secretary of State for Education Justine Greening and ask her to revise the National Funding Formula so that Keighley and Ilkley schools do not lose out and sufficient resources are given to the formula for it to succeed. School budgets are being pushed beyond breaking point. I hope you can put pressure on the Government to make sure schools in your constituency can continue to deliver for all pupils.

TWO VALLEYS LEARNING COLLABORATIVE Andrew Soutar, Iain Jones, Joanne Siddal, John Cooper, Vicky Bottomley, James Procter, Hilary Cave, Claire Lee, Glen Hartford, Michele Robinson and Jo Waterhouse (Headteachers of Ashlands Primary School, Menston Primary School, Burley and Woodhead CoE Primary School, Steeton Primary School, Aire View Infant School, Hothfield Junior School, Addingham Primary School, Burley Oaks Primary School, Ben Rhydding Primary School, All Saints’ CoE Primary School, Eastburn Junior & Infant School)