STUDENTS in Holmes Chapel have held their own ‘referendum’ on the proposed funding cuts to east Cheshire schools, delivering the results to MP Fiona Bruce.

A consultation on the government’s new proposed funding formula closed on Wednesday, with Cheshire East Council currently set to be left as the worst-funded authority in the country.

To raise awareness of the proposals ahead of its closure, sixth form students at Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School last week conducted a poll and hope to have garnered the support of up to 10,000 people.

Denis Oliver, executive headteacher, said: “Our students wanted to get involved and came up with the referendum idea to show how they felt about these proposals.

“Ballot cards showing the impact of the proposals and how children in east Cheshire are disadvantaged in relation to all of our neighbouring authorities, were produced.

“On the reverse of the card we have examples of where the proposed formula doesn’t deliver against key promises.

“The ballot boxes have been widely available and are sealed. We set out to collect 5,000 signatures but looking at the number of ballot boxes we have filled it feels like we have collected at least twice that number.”

Mrs Bruce has been a supporter of the campaign to persuade Westminster that a rethink is needed.

Already historically underfunded, schools in the borough will now sit rock bottom with Holmes Chapel Comprehensive School set to loss more than £620,000 in funding by 2019.

Alongside Holmes Chapel students, the sixth form at Sandbach was also involved in the referendum.

Sarah Burns, Sandbach Boys School head, said: “We have tried to make the facts clear and to give people as many ways as possible to take part.

“Make no mistake, we know that cuts in spending are going to happen but these proposals will decimate education in this area. We owe it to our children to stand up and be counted.”

Mrs Bruce responded: "As the first MP in the country to object to the Government's school funding proposals, as long ago as December 2016 in the House of Commons, I am impressed with the engagement of young people in our campaign.

"I hope that their voice, together with the increasing expressions of concern across the country about the unfairness of these plans, will cause the Government to go back to the drawing board and rethink them completely."