PROBABLY for the first time, I find I am in agreement with Cllr Mike Appleyard, Bucks County Council's cabinet member for schools, when he says, "The trouble with statistics is that results can be dramatically different, depending on what you take into account."

This was quoted in the article "Bucks chiefs hit back at primary school statistics" in the BFP, January 19.

The fact that "Education chiefs in Bucks are annoyed..." when faced with figures supplied by the council to the DfEE suggests there was some truth in figures quoted in the Sunday Times, showing Bucks is third worst authority, spending less on primary children than almost any other LEA.

The NAHT published these figures for 2000/2001 showing this authority spent £1,620 for every primary school pupil in the county. This figure comes from figures supplied by the authority.

NAHT members would be interested to know how the figure of £1,890 was arrived at what was "...taken into account" there. It is easy to quote figures.

For instance, in 1999/2000 the LEA delegated 79.6 per cent of the local schools budget to schools, as against 82.4 per cent nationally. In 2000/2001 there was an improvement, with a delegated budget percentage of 80.5 as against a national figure of 84.2. The average delegated funding per pupil, primary and secondary, for 2000/2001 was £2,143, as against a national average of £2,373. Which ever way we look at it, it is clear that funding in Bucks is not as high as in other authorities.

Schools have received their provisional budget figures for the next financial year. For Early Years children, schools receive £1,562 for a three-year-old child, and £1,591 for a four-year-old. For children five plus to seven plus, schools receive £1,344 per child. A school receives £1,310 for a child who is eight plus and £1,290 for children aged nine plus and ten plus.

These figures are known as the Age Weighted Pupil Units, the allocations to schools by age. These figures in no way match any of the figures quoted above. Figures added on include extra funding schools receive through other sources, Standards Fund and School Standards Grants.

But what is needed is an increase and an evening out in the basic funding through the Age Weighted Pupil Unit. It recommended by a report, "The Five Heads Report" published in the summer of 1996. This report has been accepted by Cllr Appleyard publicly on more than one occasion. but always with the corollary, when funding permits!

The NAHT has urged central government to make funding of schools at a national level a priority, to ensure children are funded the same across the country. Our councillors should work towards making funding available to even out this disparity. Take advantage that this is an election year, nationally and locally. If you are a governor, parent or anyone concerned about Bucks funding, can I ask you to see this situation is made a real issue, with the major aim to improve funding and the high standards schools in this authority provide.

Peter J Soutar, Secretary, Wycombe & District Local Association of the National Association of Headteachers