THE fight to secure more cash for Worcestershire's schools is being taken back to Westminster - with headteachers looking for action, not words.

The executive group from the Worcestershire Headteachers' Forum is due to travel to London tomorrow to persuade Schools Minister, David Miliband, into providing extra funding for the county's schools.

It is the second time campaigners have held a meeting with Mr Miliband following a parent governor and teacher trip last October.

"He was persuaded last time by the argument that we fail to trigger some of the top-up funding. We want to move that on from recognition to action," said Phil McTague, Forum chairman.

The delegation will be highlighting how the county fails to qualify for any top-up funding in four Government schemes - excellence clusters, excellence in cities, pathfinder projects and education action zones - and receives only a sliver of the leadership incentive grant.

"Not only is there a low base budget in Worcestershire but it is under represented by around £9m within top-ups as well," said Mr McTague who added that an independent academic study supporting the county's claims for Area Cost Adjustment could help them to secure extra education funding.

"ACA is an issue for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, not the Department for Education and Skills, but we think the research could be a very powerful weapon in our arsenal. If mistakes can be made in the ODPM, clearly they can be made in assessing need for other top-ups."

The group has received backing from county MPs, including Peter Luff, who said the issue was not about political rivalry but that it was a simple fact that "maths" proved local schools were missing out.

"The academic study and the information given to me about special funding streams, in written Parliamentary answers, prove the county is a victim of discrimination," the Mid Worcestershire MP said.

Worcester MP Mike Foster added: "It is important to recognise that the county does benefit from some, but not all these funding streams, and to make our case for inclusion is important.

"Schools will have record budget increases this year - but that doesn't mean we can take our eye off the ball."