Sir – There was one piece of good news in the local government finance settlement which has gone relatively unnoticed but which demonstrates the influence of the Liberal Democrats in Government.

Oxfordshire schools will be getting an additional £3.8m in the pupil premium for disadvantaged children. This is £430 for every child having free school meals, or in care, or from a family in the services, and comes on top of the same amount of cash per pupil as under the last Labour Government.

The premium gives headteachers in Oxfordshire the freedom to use the money how they want, in the ways they know work — not how politicians in Whitehall tell them to. By helping some of the most disadvantaged children, we can help whole classes work together better and move forward faster.

This is great news for children, parents and teachers alike.

Zoé Patrick, Leader of the Opposition, County Hall