HEADTEACHERS from across Essex and the country flocked to Downing Street calling for better funding for education.

Teachers came to the capital in their thousands to deliver a letter to Phillip Hammond, the chancellor at number 11.

The march was organised by WorthLess?, a campaign to improve school funding.

Andrew James, headteacher of Chase High School in Prittlewell Chase, Southend, was among the teachers who lobbied in Westminster.

He said: “Theresa May is telling us there is more money than ever for education, however that is not what we are seeing in our schools.

“Two years ago our schools had to make around 15 staff redundant, as much as we wanted to be able to keep them on, we could not.

“This is not what we signed up for and not what we thought the government would do.

“I loved the people who put up banners saying, ‘relentlessly reasonable’ as we have been for so long about this issue, but we are now in a position where if these cuts continue it will damage the future of our pupils and others across the country.”

Theresa May defended the government’s funding of schools.

Speaking to BBC presenter Andrew Marr, she said: “Overall, we are putting £1.3 billion extra into school budgets this year.”

Figures from the Education Policy Institute (EPI) revealed the number of secondary schools in England running at a loss had nearly trebled.

The study found that between 2013 to 2014 and 2016 to 2017, the figures for the number of of secondary schools running at a loss in the UK had increased from 8.8 per cent to 26 per cent.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Headteachers, said: “It’s a fantastic turnout and although it’s supported by the leadership unions, it’s not arranged by them.

“This is an organic experience of school leader frustration and anger.”