A NATIONAL organisation is using Swindon as an example of why unfair funding for schools is such a disgrace.

The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has analysed this year's budget settlements for local education authorities and found gaps of up to £1,500 in the amount allocated per pupil.

It has used several cities, boroughs and counties to illustrate its argument that the worst funded areas must be brought into line with others when the funding system is changed for 2003.

One of those is Swindon, which is the worst funded unitary authority and eighth worst funded out of the 148 councils in the country.

The NAHT survey shows that a 1,000-pupil secondary school in Swindon receives £511,000 less than a similar school in Slough, while a 200-pupil primary school in Swindon receives £88,000 less than a similar school in Slough.

Slough has been used as a marker as it is judged to be a similar sized LEA on the M4 corridor with which Swindon is often compared on exam results.

The survey also showed:

Swindon LEA receives £2,507 per secondary pupil, while Slough LEA receives £3,018 and Hull LEA the highest funded unitary authority receives £3,117

Swindon only receives £1,813 per primary pupil as well, while Slough benefits more than any other unitary authority with £2,254

London boroughs receive even more, with Kensington and Chelsea's secondary schools being given £3,898 per pupil

County councils are worst funded, with Gloucestershire receiving just £2,379 per secondary pupil

The Advertiser has campaigned for the system of funding local councils the Standard Spending Assessment to be changed quickly to give our schools a level playing field, but the Government will not implement a new method until April 2003.

In the meantime, the Evening Advertiser and Swindon Council have asked for interim payments to be made to the worst funded areas to offset the dreadful disparities, but Education Secretary Estelle Morris last week told the paper that the Government would not be doing that this year.

David Hart, the general secretary of the NAHT said: "The NAHT wants funding to be levelled up, so that those LEAs and schools that are short changed by the current system are given a fair deal.

"The new funding system will fail unless it creates a much more level playing field.

"We know it will cost a lot of money to level up, but the Government promised to do just this when it announced that a new funding system would operate.

"Teachers, parents and governors who are part of those schools failed by the present system will be looking to the Chancellor, Gordon Brown, to deliver when he announces the results of his Comprehensive Spending Review in July 2002."