FAMILIES in Oxfordshire will be sent letters warning that 'cash-starved' schools must be given more funding.

The letters urge parents to continue campaigning for a growing funding gap to be plugged and are being sent by headteachers from 4,000 state schools.

It is not yet clear however which schools in the county have sent them out to parents.

As well as Oxfordshire, the letters will also be sent to parents in Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, Wokingham and Devon.

The call comes on the day the Government sets outs its legislative agenda in the Queen's Speech.

School funding was a key election issue, with school leaders, parents and unions all warning the nation's state schools are facing a severe squeeze on budgets, with many schools saying they will have to take action such as cutting staff and subjects.

It acknowledges the Conservative election manifesto pledge to find an extra £4 billion for school funding over the next five years.

But the letter goes on to say that school funding, and teacher shortages, are having "a profoundly negative effect on school provision".

It says: "It is crucial that the new Government responds quickly and effectively to a growing crisis in our schools."

The letter highlights a recent paper by the Institute for Fiscal Studies which concluded that once rising student numbers and inflation are taken into account, the additional £4 billion would still lead to a real terms cut in per pupil funding between 2016 and 2022.

It says headteachers will "make the strongest representations to local MPs to ensure all our schools receive adequate funding" and continue to encourage parents to "campaign vigorously to secure adequate school funding".

The Tory manifesto pledged the extra school funding would be found, at least in part, through scrapping universal free meals for infants and introducing the cheaper option of free school breakfasts for primary school pupils. It is not yet known if this policy will be taken forward.

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "The core schools budget has been protected in real terms since 2010 and is set to rise from £41 billion in 2017-18 to over £42 billion in 2019-20 with increasing pupil numbers.

"But we recognise that schools are facing cost pressures and will continue to provide support to help them use their funding in cost effective ways."

Have you received one of these letters? Let our newsroom know.