A LEADING school headteacher has welcomed George Osborne's funding shake-up pledge - calling it "at least two decades overdue".

Clive Corbett, who chairs Worcestershire's School Forum and runs Pershore High, says he hopes the Chancellor's Comprehensive Spending Review will allow county schools to finally escape "appallingly low" funding deals.

More reaction has poured in across Worcestershire after Mr Osborne outlined his new spending plans on Wednesday, which included ditching £4.4 billion of tax credit reductions and a shock move to protect police funding until 2020.

Worcester's left-wing Trades Union Council has welcomed the Chancellor's steps, while business leaders in the county say his announcements have left them in two minds.

Mr Corbett said the announcement of an entirely new National Funding Formula for schools from 2017 was desperately needed.

He said: "It is very good news that a national fair funding formula will be introduced from 2017 - this is at least two decades overdue.

"I would like to thank local MPs, and in our case Harriett Baldwin for understanding and supporting the cause.

"However Pershore along with all other Worcestershire schools is very much in need of extra funding now.

"I say this as chairman of the Worcestershire Schools Forum as well as headteacher here.

"We have all had to make significant savings over recent years to compensate for appallingly low levels of funding.

"Of course we will make things work in the best interests of all young in people in Worcestershire but current levels will barely suffice."

The Trade Unions Council said the tax credit cuts being ditched, which means 22,300 county children with families no longer face the reductions in April, was a "stay of execution".

A spokesman said: "We welcomed the decision of George Osborne to cancel his projected cuts to tax credits.

"This council does however, recall that in July he described his measures as a 'budget for working people' yet concealed within it were proposals that would have damaged the incomes of millions of poorer households, of which 22,000 are in Worcestershire.

"We therefore have reason to believe the rhetoric of this Chancellor is often not the reality, and his pronouncements must be subjected to careful and independent analysis."

Councillor John Campion, the Conservative Party's candidate to be the next police and crime commissioner for West Mercia, has welcome the move to protect force funding.

"I'm delighted the Chancellor has recognised the hard and vital work our police do keeping our communities safe, and that the Conservative Government has chosen to protect it’s funding in these difficult financial times," he said.

Mike Ashton, chief executive of Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, said: "The autumn statement was a mixed bag for business in Worcestershire.

"The chamber is delighted to hear the Chancellor has listened to the business community’s concerns on infrastructure and on increasing investment in science and technology, especially with the thriving tech sector we have in Worcestershire.

"However we must make sure that there is not a sole emphasis on London and the north."

* For our special report on yesterday's Spending Review go HERE.

* To recap on our LIVE coverage click HERE.