The banners - such as the one shown here, which I photographed at Middle Street Primary School - spell out the impact of funding cuts to local schools: a reduction of up to £193,425 per school and £487 per pupil.

The Government says that funding for education is at record levels but this is totally misleading. In practice, record numbers of children, increased national insurance and pension contributions, cuts to local authority spending and inflation mean severe cuts right across school budgets.

The message I’ve heard from local headteachers is clear and consistent: school funding is in crisis and budgets are being pushed beyond breaking point. I’ve blogged on school funding cuts at http://bit.ly/2nS8ieH - and I’ll be fighting against those cuts if re-elected in June.

Our schools are the institutions that nurture and support the next generation and it's woefully short-sighted to cut when what we should do is invest.