I was at the f40 annual conference on Sat, in Gloucs. It was very positive.
I used my point, directed at the Head of LEA and School Funding, dfes, Mr Dugald Sandeman, to highlight the ever increasing gap, between Worcs, the nat average and our neighbours (three times now what it was in 1997), saying that it was unfair and that no-one has to this day ever justified the huge difference, which has got progressively worse over the last 10 years.
Dugald Sandeman, the dfes rep (head of LEA and Schools Funding)AGREED with me that the gap had widened, and admitted that some authorities may find it UNFAIR. He then added that it should not be as bad for future arrangements.

Some people disapprove of my direct approach, but I will keep on raising our childrens funding predicament in the press and media, for as long as it takes to get it addressed.
It is only by continually raising the plight of our childrens funding situation, and by challenging various claims made by government depts and the like, that the powers that be will actually sit up and do something about it.

Watch this space! (and of course you can follow the f40 group progress with the funding campaign on the f40 website.

http://www.f40.org.uk/news_releases/news_releases.html

Yet again, the school funding gap widens:-

THE FUNDING gap between Worcestershire children and the national average payment has trebled since 1997 (was £150 now £420 per pupil per year less).
The gap between Birmingham children and Worcestershire children has increased from £270 per child per year less in 1997, to a whopping £840 per child per year less in 2006.
What we need is a fairer system that pays out more basic funding for each child - less add-ons, a deprivation top-up system that actually gets the additional cash to every child that needs it, regardless of where they happen to live, and an annual increase that doesn't simply blandly advantage those who have most already and penalise those who have least each year.

This is what f40 (the organisation set up to fight for fairer funding, and made up by the lowest funded authorities in the country, of which Worcs is one of the lowest funded) are fighting for.
Take a look at our website.
I was invited to sit as a parent on the executive committee, and attend the f40 meetings.