IN a recent letter received from the DFES regarding school funding, it was quoted that "the formula for funding takes account of authorities' relative need" and also the priority is "to ensure stability and certainty in school funding".

Using data from the DFES own national funding website, I extracted the funding figures for all the shire counties over the last seven years.

I found that in 1997, Worcestershire was ranked 17th out of 34 counties, but has spectacularly fallen to 32nd position out of 34 in 2004 over the last seven years.

Not stable for schools in Worcestershire by any stretch of the imagination.

I have written to the DFES to ask how Worcestershire's "relative need" has by their own departments reckoning, so dramatically reduced.

What has drastically changed in Worcestershire to warrant such a huge relegation in relative cash terms?

There is no other authority that has lost out in relative cash terms as badly as our own.

HELEN DONOVAN,

Evesham.