We put candidates for North Swindon on the spot: EDUCATION

Our questions on EDUCATION are:

Headteachers have written to us to warn of rising staff costs, including pensions, but no increase in government funding. They are worried about the cuts they will have to make to cover this. How will you help them?

With demand for places set to increase with more housebuilding, how will you ensure there are adequate places at primary and secondary level?

Will you push for the free hot meals for school children to be extended to more age categories?

POPPY HEBDON-LEEDER

1. We would restore education current and capital funding to 2010 levels in real terms.

2. Housebuilding needs to be done hand in hand with planning of infrastructure in an area – the current planning regulations mean this can be ignored.

Local authorities need more say in local planning decisions so that schools and other infrastructure can be planned adequately.

3. Yes, but on timescales that work for schools, rather than push them into delivery without proper planning. For some children it may be the only hot meal they get in a day.

The food should also be planned so as to be nutritious and contain local ingredients.

MARK DEMPSEY

1. My brother is a teacher and I am proud that Labour rebuilt our schools. Labour will protect the entire education budget, instead of the Tories’ education cuts. We will ensure every child benefits from high-quality teaching and put standards first by ensuring that all teachers in state schools become qualified.

2. The Tories are presiding over a school places crisis.

I helped ensure a new primary school for North Swindon at Tadpole Farm. Labour will prioritise new schools where they are needed most and introduce new Directors of School Standards, to raise standards and ensure every child gets an excellent education.

3. I think it’s important to enable children to live healthy and active lives. Labour will continue with free school meals for all five, six and seven-year-olds in English primary schools. And we will reinstate the goal of all children doing a minimum of two hours PE a week.

JANET ELLARD

1. Liberal Democrats would protect the education budget from nursery to age 19. We have already introduced the Pupil Premium, which gives extra funding to schools with pupils from poorer backgrounds.

We are aware that there are pressures on headteachers, but education has in fact been protected more than other areas of spending.

2. For some time, there has been a shortage of school places at secondary level in Swindon. The announcement that two new schools are to be built, one of them in North Swindon, was very welcome.

There is less pressure on Primary school places: in fact 93% of parents this year were offered a place for their child at their first choice of school.

3. We would evaluate the scheme so far and, as resources allow, would expand the scheme to cover all Primary school pupils.

A hot, nutritious meal in the middle of day is good for children’s health and for their concentration. It also helps families who are less well off.

JUSTIN TOMLINSON

1. Over the last 5 years, we have protected the schools budget and committed £18 billion for new school buildings, so that children can learn in the best environment possible.

Under a future Conservative Government, the amount of money following your child into school will be protected. As the number of pupils increases, so will the amount of money in our schools.

2. We have more than doubled spending on new school places, with £5 billion given to tackle Labour’s school places crises. Locally, I led the campaign to secure a new secondary school for the Northern Sector, and the expansion of many primary schools allowing 98% of parents in Swindon got their child into one of their top 3 primary school choices this April.

3. We will continue to support families by providing free meals to all infants.

This is on top of the pupil premium, which we will protect to ensure that schools receive additional money for those pupils from the poorest backgrounds, as well as the continuation of the fairer funding formula which has already seen an additional £4.3 million for Swindon schools.

JAMES FAULKNER

1. Performance related pay should be scrapped.

I would encourage the schools to bulk buy equipment, ideally with other schools to reduce costs.

Schools should be encouraged to try to cut their energy bills to save money.

I would try and lobby to get increased funding so less cuts are needed.

2. Before the house building scheme is given approval, places for the children from the new homes needs to be in place and if necessary the developer helping fund any new facilities needed.

It is vital that this is done before construction of the new housing starts.

3. Yes I think it is a good idea. At the moment the scheme is for up to year 2 pupils but it should be extended further for older pupils (subject to finance), so it is something I would support.