Helston’s MP has welcomed an additional £3.5 million funding boost for local schools.

The announcement by schools minister David Laws will mean that funding will be allocated to local areas on the basis of the actual characteristics of their pupils and schools, rather than just on the basis of historic levels of spending.

A total of £350 million will be made available to schools across the country, with priority given to those with high numbers of pupils from deprived backgrounds. Cornwall is set to receive and extra £3.5 million, or £54 per pupil on top of current funding.

West Cornwall MP Andrew George said: “This is a welcome step in the right direction after more than three decades of unfair funding to Cornish schoolchildren.

“It has left us a legacy of problems and the extra £3.5 million will help give Cornwall the parity we deserve.”