TEACHERS, parents and trade unionists from the North-East joined campaigners from all over the country to call from more funding for schools.

The day was staged at Parliament today (Tuesday) to raise concerns about cuts to funding and call on the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, to release more money for schools.

Ministers say more money is being pumped into schools, and announced a new funding formula which they say will ensure money is allocated in a fairer way.

Education Secretary Justine Greening has announced an extra £1.3 billion will be found for England's schools from existing budgets, although some unions have suggested this will not be enough to plug funding gaps.

Around 1,000 people, including representatives from six unions, are estimated to have attended the event, which saw parents meeting MPs from all over the country to lobby for more funding, and two rallies, with speakers including shadow education secretary Angela Rayner.

Middlesbrough dad George Hunt, who works at Teesside University, travelled to London for the event.

He said: “I have a four-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter and I feel like they are or will be going to good schools but in a very uncertain future. I’m concerned by the time my daughter goes to school or my son moves on there won’t be sufficient staffing."

Amy Hunt, Northern regional officer for the National Education Union, said: “There has been quite a group of us go down, not just teachers but parents as well.

“Teachers are very concerned about funding in the schools. Teachers are having to put their own money into resources for pupils and to top up what’s available. We have a number of parents who are concerned about the standard of education schools are able to provide for children.”

School standards minister Nick Gibb described claims made by trade unions about school funding as "fundamentally misleading".

He added: "There are no cuts in funding - every school will see an increase in funding through the formula from 2018.

"The figures the trade union are peddling are based on historical data and do not reflect the situation in our schools today. They also ignore the fact that schools' funding is driven by pupil numbers and, as pupil numbers rise, the amount of money schools receive will also increase."

Addressing the crowd, Ms Rayner said: "It's an absolute tragedy that we have headteachers now having to run marathons - where they used to run them for charity - to give funds to their school.

"It's really devastating when we have letters going home to parents asking them to provide what the state should provide within our education system.

"It's disappointing that so many teachers have had to leave the profession because of the strain that they have been put under."

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: "We welcome the Education Secretary's commitment to a new formula to address the postcode lottery in school funding.

"But slicing up the cake more evenly cannot disguise the fact that the cake is not big enough in the first place."

Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: "This lobby is another indication that the Government cannot ignore the message they received loud and clear in the General Election that our schools are on their knees financially and the public do not accept this should be the case."