I know education is an important priority in Redditch, just as it is a top priority for this Government.

It's why we have put so much effort and record investment into helping pupils, teachers and parents in the town to improve standards in our schools.

And they have risen remarkably to the challenge, with real improvements in performance and results right across Worcestershire.

Eight per cent more children in the county are reaching the expected standard at age 11 in English and 12 per cent more in maths compared with 1998 thanks to the daily literacy and numeracy hours.

I'm proud of what's been achieved. But I also know how much more needs to be done to give all our children the best possible start in life.

So I understand the concern of parents and teachers who believe Worcestershire's schools are losing out because of the long-standing controversy over the funding formula for local government.

And it's these worries which have prompted headteachers from Redditch to come to Westminster today.

I can assure Redditch Advertiser readers that I - and the Government - are well aware of the concerns here, and in other areas, about the funding formula.

Not least because my ministerial colleague, Jacqui Smith, is fighting the county's case very hard within Government.

It's one of the reasons why the Government is examining seriously how we can make sure funding in future is as fair as possible to every community.

I know parents and teachers from Redditch have made their views known in the consultation process launched by the Green Paper.

What I also know is, whatever the problems with the present formula, Worcestershire is enjoying record investment in its schools under this Government.

Worcestershire's schools should receive £250 more per pupil this year, adjusted for inflation, than in 1997-98. And that does not include record spending on repairs and buildings.

So far, the county has received nearly £12 million for vital repairs and renovation under the New Deal for Schools introduced by this Government - with more to come.

It's investment, for instance, which has meant new classrooms at Astwood Bank First School and a new IT room at Abbey High School. And a new roof at Batchley First School, which is being built at the moment.

Also, the extra money has enabled new teachers to be recruited and new classrooms built to cut the number of infants in classes of over 30 pupils in Worcestershire from more than 3,000 three years ago to less than 300 last term.

Every school has had more money for books and computers. And the head of a typical middle and high school in Redditch is being given around £50,000 to spend on their school's priorities.

When we came to power, the country was paying more in interest on its national debt and on social security than it was on the entire school system.

Now, because billions of pounds on interest payments have been saved and there are a million more people in work, record and sustained investment can now be afforded in our schools.

It's money which has already enabled us to increase the number of teachers and increase rewards for those in classrooms, too.

There are 7,500 more teachers in our schools than in 1998 and there are more than 2,000 more people training to be teachers this year than last - the first increase for eight years.

But we know we need more teachers. We have to continue tackling the backlog of school repairs we inherited.

We need, above all, to increase efforts to continue to improve standards in our primary and, in particular, in our secondary schools.

The progress we have made so far in Worcestershire has only been achieved by everyone working together.

I can promise this Government will continue working with pupils, teachers and parents throughout the county to ensure this progress continues.