WILL Quince has said no other Essex MP has lobbied harder for school funding than himself, amid concerns after a school had to make nine staff redundant.

The Gazette revealed earlier today Prettygate Infant School in Colchester will lose its deputy head teacher and eight Learning Support Assistants, who are also based across its Junior School.

All have taken voluntary redundancy and are due to leave their roles before the school summer holidays.

Executive head Rita Tingle said it was as a result of the“dire position” of finances the school found itself in.

READ MORE: Nine members of staff made redundant at Prettygate Infant School

Now Colchester’s MP has spoken out about the situation.

He said: “I met with the school’s governors two to three weeks ago now to discuss this issue.

“What it boils down to is costs have gone up.

"Home Farm Primary School has increased the form of entry for another 30 pupils, it’s an Outstanding school and just around the corner.

“As a result, Prettygate is around 16 pupils down, so half a class. In education, the money follows the pupil.

“You can get an idea of why this situation has come about.”

He added: “There is no MP in Essex, or in our region that lobbies harder for funding or education.

"I have written to all schools keeping them abreast of what I am doing.”

Mr Quince, for example, said he was among “a handful of MPs” that took part in both recent education debates.

He said he had also met with senior Government members including education secretary Damian Hinds.

What you had to say about staff being made redundant

Heather Swift Staffing takes up the majority of a schools budget, so many other areas are reduced to save costs but sadly, in most cases eventually it does come down to cutting staff. It’s a disgrace. Schools are expected to take more and more children - more and more with some kind of SEN, but that’s not funded unless it’s a severe case. So they have to have extra staff to support those children, but fund this out of their already extremely tight budget. It seems the very basic needs of schools (and NHS) aren’t that important anymore

Zoe Jeanette So sad. Children are our future and TA's are a massive part of a child's education.

Karen Julie I was one of three made redundant last year from my primary school. It’s happening more than people realise!

Eileen Smith This is a terrible position to be in. The children will suffer, and it is no use in two or three years time to say oh how awful. For goodness sake, the education chiefs should now say, let’s save this school and children and do something positive.

Jenna Hopkins This is terrible. And it's not just Prettygate, so many schools are having to do this now. There is a petition recently started to ask for schools to be funded better so this doesn't carry on getting worse. School staff work so hard to make things work for the children that most people don't know how bad the real term funding cuts have got.