RESIDENTS are being urged to respond to a government consultation that could see Haringey awarded school funding in line with neighbouring boroughs.

Hornsey and Wood Green Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone is contacting local people in a bid to change the current system, where the borough is treated as outer London even though the challenges its schools face and its teachers pay are in line with the inner-city areas like Camden, Hackney and Islington.

The consultation was announced by Education Secretary Michael Gove in February to review all funding arrangements, after a campaign set up by Haringey teachers and backed by Mrs Featherstone.

The current system sees schools in the Haringey receive up to £1,540 less than schools in nearby boroughs, while all schools have seen a real-terms cut in funding per pupil from the Government.

Ms Featherstone said: “It’s great that the Education Secretary acknowledged Haringey’s unfair situation in a recent letter to me.

“But the next step now is to make sure we all respond to this first consultation.

“We need to show a resounding support for a change to the unfair way our schools are funded, and especially that the additional costs of employing teachers and other staff in this part of London should be recognised.

“This is our big chance, please don’t let it slip by.”

She added that she blamed the previous government for “starving” Haringey's schools of funding, a claim that was rejected by Labour.

Chair of Labour Teachers, John Blake, said: “Lynne Featherstone is misleading her constituents over the funding of primary and secondary schools in Haringey.

“She knows full well that funding per pupil has increased by over 50 per cent in real terms over the last ten years.

“Crass political point scoring over an important issue that has the support of all parties in Haringey is grossly irresponsible and is no way of uniting the borough to make the best case for funding our children’s education.”

The exercise is the first of two consultations, with the first measuring the desire for change and the second – later in the summer – examining the options.

To take part in the consultation, click here and submit your response before May 25.