A GOVERNMENT move to make the funding of schools fairer will see the majority in North Yorkshire and the North-East gain from a redrafted formula.

While most schools in London, the North-West and the West Midlands stand to lose funding, Department of Education documents show hundreds of schools - particularly primaries in Durham and North Yorkshire - will stand to receive up to five per cent extra.

The formula, unveiled by education secretary Justine Greening, will see money moving from urban centres that have been better funded in the past to schools in rural areas that have traditionally received less money.

Schools which will receive less funding will be given a transitional period to allow them to adapt to the new formula.

Among the biggest losers will be Carmel College, Humersknott Academy and Hurworth School in Darlington, which will see their funding cut by nearly three per cent.

The Whitehall figures show Humersknott will receive £172,000 less annually, while across Durham only eight of the 32 secondary schools will benefit.

In North Yorkshire, many secondary schools in rural areas are set to gain, with Easingwold receiving an extra £59,000, Thirsk £22,000, Lady Lumley’s in Pickering £52,000 and Norton College £13,000.

Ms Greening said: “Our proposed reforms will mean an end to historical unfairness and underfunding for certain schools.

“We need a system that funds schools according to the needs of their pupils rather than their postcode, levelling the playing field and giving parents the confidence that every child will have an equal opportunity to reach their full potential.”

Thirsk and Malton Kevin Hollinrake MP welcomed the move, saying North Yorkshire schools would be almost £7 million a year better off.

Mr Hollinrake said: “I made a campaign commitment to seek a fairer deal for rural areas and am grateful to my many colleagues who were also involved in this fairer funding campaign.

“Before this change, schools in urban areas were generally receiving more money per student, in some cases as much as 50 per cent more.”

Unions said the changes would put huge pressures on many schools which were already struggling to balance their books.

Adrian Prandle, of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: “The government has not put the needs of children first in failing to come up with any additional funding for schools. School budgets are already cut to the bone.

Kevin Courtney, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, added: “Far from being the levelling up that some councils and heads have demanded, this is a levelling down. Even the schools currently worst funded will see real-terms cuts in this parliament.”