Headteachers, teachers, support staff, parents and pupils turned out in large numbers to a protest march in the city at the beginning of the month to demand fair school funding, banging SOS in morse code on drums.

Meeting at Queen Square in Bath, the protest then moved to the Royal Crescent, where families then gathered for a ‘protest picnic’.

Local B&NES Councillors for Paulton, Liz Hardman and Grant Johnson, joined local teachers and their families.

Grant Johnson said: “There were between 1,500 – 2,000 people out to protest against the school funding crisis.

It was fantastic to see so many teachers, parents and children turn out to oppose what has been a chronic lack of funding for our schools in Bath & North East Somerset.

“The Government needs to be aware of the school funding crisis that is affecting so many young people’s futures.

Teachers are being put on, time and time again, to deal with the situation and get all children the education they deserve.

“Too often, we are seeing parents having to provide the basics that schools simply don’t have the money to provide, whether that is pens, pencils or even books. Every child deserves the right to write, as Nelson Mandela put it, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.’

“In today’s political climate, we need Education more than anything to help tackle the difficult issues that lie ahead.”

Welton Primary School Headteacher, John Snell, has publicly spoken out about the lack of Government funding for schools, with parents having to help donate basic supplies, such as stationery and toilet paper. In May, 72 Headteachers from across B&NES wrote to parents, sending out 25,000 letters asking parents for help.

For more information, visit: www.ffas-banes.co.uk or visit Facebook: Fair Funding for all Schools – BANES and Twitter: @FairBath