PARENTS and children will gather in a city park to protest against cuts to school funding.

A mass gathering has been organised to take place at The Level in Brighton this Friday by parent-led campaign group Save Our Schools.

The group is protesting over cuts to school funding in the city which it claims will amount to £14 million by 2020.

It comes after headteachers displayed banners highlighting cuts faced by schools in the city, despite the council telling them not to.

Starting at 3.30pm, Friday’s protest will be attended by headteachers, staff and parents from at least ten schools and will feature speeches, entertainment and an opportunity to sign a mass letter which will then be delivered to the Department for Education.

Gemma Haley, 43, a mother of two and founding member of Save Our Schools, said the campaign has grown.

She said: “This event follows on from the unveiling of the banners which so many schools

took part in and was incredibly successful in drawing

attention to the funding crisis in education.

“We are standing with our schools and headteachers to say we are united.

“It’s an opportunity for the city to come together and ask for our £14 million back.”

Other protests will be taking place in Hove and Portslade.

Earlier this month, headteachers showed their support for the campaign by displaying banners claiming cuts will mean each school in the city will be £193,425 worse off, on average, and £487 worse off per pupil.

Despite the city council prohibiting the banners because they were “too political”, dozens of headteachers displayed them and have decided to leave them hanging outside their schools.

Last week the council sent an email warning head-teachers displaying the banners would be in breach of the Education Act by promoting “one-sided political views” that could sway support for a party during election time.

Addressing the council’s concerns Miss Hayley said the campaign was non partisan.

She said: “We believe education should be right up there with all parties. Funding is an investment in our kids’ future.”

The Government says school funding is at all-time high with £40 billion committed nationwide in 2016/17, despite the National Audit Office saying schools face

£3 billion in spending pressures by 2020.

The National Union of Teachers has calculated that nationwide the cuts could add up to £3 billion by 2020.