UNFAIR funding for Herefordshire pupils could change after the chancellor announced plans for an overhaul of the current system.

George Osborne said in his autumn statement that the government plans to introduce a fairer new national funding formula for schools.

At the moment pupils in Herefordshire receive less funding than other parts of the country.

MP for Hereford and South Herefordshire, Jesse Norman, has long campaigned for fairer funding.

He said: "The announcement has the potential to change quite significantly the funding for rural schools, such as those in Herefordshire, and eliminate a lot of the differential you see that effectively disadvantages our local schools.

"It is very early days and there will undoubtedly be a lot of toing and froing but it is a very heartening response to all the lobbying and work that I and colleagues have done on this issue."

He said Herefordshire schools are one of the least well-funded in the country. Some authorities and schools get funded at twice the level of other authorities.

Mr Norman added: "Colleagues and I will continue to make the case all the way through consultation and decision making."

In the statement Mr Osborne said: "The government will introduce the first ever national funding formula for schools, high needs and early years, so that funding is transparently and fairly linked to children’s needs.

"This will end the unfair system where a child from a disadvantaged background in one school attracts half as much funding as a child in identical circumstances in another school, simply because of where they live."