SCHOOL leaders feeling the squeeze of an 'ever-pinching pot' have accused the Government of false advertising.

It follows the revelation a much-hyped £1.3bn boost to school funding will only benefit some Oxfordshire schools by a few hundred pounds.

Headteachers were given hope earlier this year, when Education Secretary Justine Greening promised a new national funding formula would bring 'historic' change for the better.

But as schools in the county learn how much more they will receive under the formula, politicians have been accused of 'spin'.

Gagle Brook Primary School in Bicester is due to get the lowest increase in the county, of 0.2 per cent, equating to just £216.

About 16 other schools are in line for a 0.3 per cent increase, gaining about £1,000.

THE TOP 5 OXFORD SCHOOLS

  • St Gregory the Great - £5,992,000 to £6,169,000: 2.9%    
  • Cheney School - £5,904,000 to £6,078,000: 2.9%    
  • Oxford Spires Academy - £4,256,000 to £4,380,000: 2.9%    
  • Pegasus School - £1,677,000 to £1,724,000: 2.8 %    
  • St Christopher’s Church of England School - £1,599,000 to £1,643,000: 2.8%     

THE BOTTOM 5 OXFORD SCHOOLS

  • West Oxford Community Primary - £774,000 to £777,000: 0.4%    
  • Wolvercote Primary School - £979,000 to £983,000: 0.4%    
  • New Hinksey C of E Primary - £628,000 to £630,000: 0.4%
  • John Henry Newman Academy - £1,401,000 to £1,407,000: 0.5%
  • Matthew Arnold School - £4,200,000 to £4,238,000: 0.9%

To see the full list, download it here school funding formula.xlsx

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran, who is a governor at Botley Primary School, said: "To call this change 'historic' is grossly overinflated. The money in most cases still amounts to a real terms cut when costs and inflation are taken into account.

"It is a negligible change. We are still looking at budget deficits, larger class sizes and crumbling buildings."

The Department for Education (DfE) has forecasted the exact funding increases each Oxfordshire school will receive next year under the formula (NFF), compared to core funding received this year.

Several, including St Gregory the Great School and Oxford Spires Academy, are set to get top increases of 2.9 per cent.

But about 130 primary schools, mostly rural, will gain increases of less than one per cent.

Teachers stressed the rise does not take into account factors such as inflation, teachers' pay rises or pensions.

Niall McWilliams, head of the Oxford Academy in Littlemore, is expecting a two per cent rise in government cash.

He said: "They can spin the figures whatever way they want: schools are drastically underfunded."

Mr McWilliams said schools are having to reduce pastoral care and increase class sizes to cope, adding: "You have to absolutely analyse every single penny there is."

He is also executive headteacher of neighbouring John Henry Newman Academy, which is only set to get 0.5 per cent more.

Larkmead School in Abingdon is due to gain an extra 2.8 per cent, which its chair of governors Iain Littlejohn described as 'a very small step in the right direction'.

The former councillor, who quit the Conservative Party over school funding, said the Government was 'spinning a difficult and unpalatable message' by over-egging the cash.

In July, Justine Greening said the NFF would be 'the biggest improvement to the school funding system in well over a decade', providing the 'investment schools need to offer world-class education'.

Sarah Brinkley, head of John Mason School in Abingdon, said: "We are grateful - children need that money, with the ever-pinching pot that is educational funding.

"But we've experienced very long-term underfunding. It's unsustainable with pay increases and pensions."

The school is in line for a 2.7 per cent boost, but Mrs Brinkley noted it would not stretch far given additional strain caused by Oxfordshire County Council cuts.

She said: "With the stripping of services, schools are now expected to provide things like mental healthcare. We are never going to turn away a family that needs help but it puts a real pinch on funding."

Cutteslowe Primary School and Wolvercote Primary School in Oxford are due to gain 2.7 per cent and 0.4 per cent in funding respectively.

Their executive head Jon Gray said: "It is moving in the right direction but we take this information with a degree of caution.

"Because of local government pressures, support mechanisms that were there, like children's centres and early support, have gone."

John Howson, education expert and county councillor, said Oxfordshire's pupils were still being 'short-changed'.

He said: "Our schools do well with limited resources but could do so much better if appropriately funded. Funding is £300 less per pupil than in Lancashire and £200 less than neighbouring Hampshire."

He noted the rural nature of many schools meant they had to pay more for transport.

County council leader Ian Hudspeth also noted that rural schools can be left 'out of pocket', adding: "While steps have been taken to reduce this imbalance, more needs to be done."

The DfE said the formula will bring £10m more to the county's schools, and will end a 'postcode lottery'.

The union-run School Cuts website now predicts that Oxfordshire schools will still lose out by £12.9m.