A HAMPSHIRE MP has said the funding formula for schools is so bad that one Southampton school is even asking parents to clean the loos.

During Prime Minister’s questions, Southampton Test Labour MP Alan Whitehead said that the cut in pupil funding is a major problem and schools in the city are in “despair” at the decision.

He wouldn’t give details of the school he mentioned in parliament when questioned by the Daily Echo, but said the school has cut its cleaning bill in order to retain teaching staff.

He told the Echo: “Funding per pupil in Southampton is particularly desperate that schools are losing 10 per cent of there funding and that equals an average of £475 per pupil.

“It means that we have larger class sizes, less specialist subjects less capability to deal with pupils and then those schools will get blamed for falling standards.”

He said it will mean teachers could leave the profession because of the pressure to ensure high standards are maintained, while schools have less resources.

Addressing Theresa May, Dr Whitehead said: “I invite the Prime Minister, instead of going to Milton Keynes, to visit me in Southampton and take a tour of Southampton’s schools.

“If she does, she will find that those schools are in despair about the cut in pupil funding of 10% in Southampton, which is £475 per pupil or equivalent to the loss of almost 400 teaching jobs across the city. She will also find one school that is inviting parents to clean the school toilets.”

The Prime Minister said that there is a consultation about the funding formula, and agreed the current formula is not fair, but also put the blame on Labour’s period in power from 1997 to 2010.

She said: “It is perfectly possible that I will find myself in Southampton over the coming weeks. As I have said before in this House, there is general agreement that the current funding formula is not fair.

“Labour did nothing in 13 years of government to address that. It is important that we get it right and we will respond to the consultation in due course.

“What is good news for schools in the honourable gentleman’s constituency is that 7,000 more children are now in good or outstanding schools in his constituency.

“Under our proposed reforms, overall funding for schools in his constituency would rise.”

Conservative Southampton Itchen MP Royston Smith believes that the funding formula means that some schools will benefit, while others will not.

Mr Smith said: “The figures from the National Union of Teachers (NUT) are not accurate on the national fair funding formula 21 schools in my constituency will get more money and seven will receive less, but it is a consultation and it is not cast in stone.”