SCHOOLS in Worcestershire are to receive £200 more per pupil next year - but there are fears the money will be swallowed up by teachers' wages and electricity bills.

Campaigners fighting for better funding for Worcestershire's schools say the increase does nothing to redress the balance with other counties who receive more money per pupil.

Councillor Adrian Hardman, Worcestershire County Council's cabinet member for finance, said: "There should be some more funds at headteachers' disposal next year that will allow them to invest even more into our children's education.

"It must not be under-estimated the pressure that schools will face from much higher costs in teacher workforce reform and higher fuel bills."

Worcestershire schools will still receive less cash per pupil than those in the vast majority of the country.

A 6.7 per cent rise in the county's schools budget will give education finance chiefs £3,337 per pupil in 2006/7 - up from £3,127 in 2005/6.

Coun Hardman added: "If all authorities get the same percentage increase, the funding gap is going to widen, not close.

"I find it inexplicable the Government continues this postcode lottery. If my son were being educated in Gloucestershire, he would be worth another £72 to that school."

Worcestershire pupils will still have less cash spent on them than in every local authority except Leicestershire, East Riding, Devon and Herefordshire.

Herefordshire's funding per pupil will be £3,297 after an above-average rise of 7.1 per cent. Schools Minister and Redditch MP Jacqui Smith claimed every school would benefit.

She said: "This settlement demonstrates the continuing high priority the Government gives to schools.

"We have acted to ensure that every school, whatever its location, will benefit from the substantial increases in funding the Government has committed to education."

Worcestershire fair funding campaigners say the announcement falls far short of what they were hoping for.

Mother-of-two Helen Donovan, from Evesham, said: "It doesn't take the brains of Britain to work out if you are bottom funded to start with and you don't get even the national average increase, you will fall further and further behind your neighbours and the national average as time goes on.

"So 6.7 per cent of peanuts is still peanuts."