Labour has attacked the Conservatives after a funding miscalculation which will leave North East schools £18m poorer next year.

Last month the Department of Education admitted they had miscalculated the amount of funding which would be allocated to state schools.

In total, there was a £370m difference to what they told England's state schools in July.

Analysis of the funding figures has shown that schools in the North East will be on average £18,512,167 worse off or £53 per pupil down next year.

In County Durham specifically, schools will lose out on £3.5m.

Bridget Phillipson, shadow education secretary, said: "Rishi Sunak wants young people to learn maths to 18, but he ought to get his own house in order first and teach Conservative Education Ministers how to count.

"Ministers’ staggering mathematical incompetence follows hot on the heels of disruption caused by the Conservatives which has pushed our schools to breaking point. 

"It’s no wonder that the relationship between families, schools and government is at rock bottom – education simply isn’t a priority for the Conservatives. 

"Labour’s priority will be to put education at the heart of national life again, and to rebuild the trust between schools, families and government so that we can drive high and rising standards in our classrooms, supporting children to achieve and thrive.

"We will start by recruiting 6,500 more teachers and put mental health counsellors in every secondary school, paid for by ending private schools’ tax breaks."

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A Department of Education spokesperson said: "This is a misrepresentation of the update to the national funding formula allocations.

"Schools have not yet received their funding for 2024-25, therefore the correction of this error does not mean adjusting any funding that schools have already received.

"The total amount that the school sector will receive will remain unchanged at £59.6 billion in 2024-25, the highest it has ever been in history, in real terms per pupil."