SCHOOLS in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole will receive the third lowest amount of funding per pupil of any area of England next year.

Provisional figures show more than £200 million will be divided between the conurbation’s primary and secondary schools in 2020 – £11.4 million more than last year.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson said funding had been directed to the schools that most needed it.

“This government has announced the biggest funding boost for schools in a decade which will giver every school more money for every child,” he said.

“I recognise the pressures schools have faced and want them and parents to be safe in the knowledge that all children can get the top quality education they deserve in classrooms across the country.”

But according to its figures, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole will receive the third lowest sum per pupil (£4,465).

Only South Gloucestershire and Wokingham will be given less while Bristol will receive £4,891 per student.

Eleven schools across the conurbation will see budgets increased by 1.84 per cent – the minimum inflationary rise awarded.

Schooling is one of the main pressures on BCP Council’s budgets with demand on services for pupils with special educational needs or disabilities expected to rise by £4 million a year.

Its latest budget forecast shows it will need to find an extra £7.8 million when budgets are put together at the beginning of next year.

And cabinet member for finance, councillor David Brown, said the extra money was unlikely to go far towards closing the gap.

“Funding for schools has been, for a number of years, a big pressure for councils,” he said.

“There have been a lot of discussions between schools about costs and how to manage them but the government is making it very difficult.

“It’s good that funding has been increased but it won't be enough.”

Cabinet member for children, councillor Sandra Moore, said the funding increase was "precarious" given the turbulence of national politics.

The position has been supported by the education leaders who said most schools would still lose out when cost increases were taken into account.

Geoff Barton, Association of School and College Lecturers general secretary, said: "The extra money for schools is not enough to reverse the cuts and the funding crisis is not over.

"In fact, many schools will have to make further cuts next year because they are receiving only an inflationary increase and school costs are rising above inflation."