🚨 We’re taking the Stop School Cuts campaign to the Houses of Parliament
Will you join us?
We’re taking the fight for school funding directly to Westminster to stand up for children, teachers and our schools.
With schools facing an additional ÂŁ1 billion in cuts in the last year alone, there is simply nothing left to cut. We know firsthand how severe this crisis is in our schools.
With a new Prime Minister in Downing Street, the political agenda is shifting – and school funding needs to be at the top of it.
Communities across England have been making the case for schools long enough. Now we’re taking our message straight into Westminster so our government has no choice but to listen.
📢 Why we are Lobbying and why you should join us
MPs are elected to represent us in government. They care most about the people who vote for them, which is why your local stories are the most powerful tool we have to stop these devastating school cuts.
Meeting your regional MPs will help them to understand exactly what is happening on the ground so they can advocate for our schools in Parliament.
The more we can give them our personal experiences and make the crisis real for them, the more compelled they will be to act.
The best bit is that you don’t need any prior experience of talking to your MP or about the campaign. These lobby days are about you having a chance to tell the truth about what funding cuts are doing to the schools in your community.
Sign up to join your regional lobby from September
We’re already planning the lobbies and they will be based on various regions across the country. They are happening from September once MPs are back from recess.
Here’s how it will work:
- Register your interest so we know where you’re based.
- We’ll let the event organisers for your region know you’re interested.
- Once a date is agreed for your region we’ll invite you to formally register.
We’ll make sure everyone in your region has the information and support you need to join on the day. You don’t need previous lobbying experience to join – only something to share about your experience of school funding cuts.
Share a story
What would you like your MP to know about school funding cuts in your area? This might be your experience from your school, what you’re hearing from your children, or even how learning about the cuts make you feel about the future of our country.
FAQs
Click on the questions to learn more:
What’s a Parliamentary Lobby?
A parliamentary lobby is an opportunity to meet MPs in Parliament as a collective of people affected by one issue. This is our chance to take everything we’ve learned through speaking to our friends and neighbours about school funding cuts directly to our MPs.
If MPs understand how devastating cuts have been to their constituents and school communities, they can start speaking up for our schools in Parliament.
Will going to a lobby make a difference?
Without people like you taking action to put school cuts at the top of the political agenda, we would not have won £20 billion in school funding over the last decade. There’s so much work still to do, and MPs hold the power to make the changes that will ensure our schools are properly funded for the long term.
Does my MP have the power to make change?
Yes – whatever party they represent, MPs can bring issues to parliamentary attention, through taking part in debates, submitting questions to the Prime Minister, writing to Cabinet Ministers,, and by visiting local groups’ schools to learn more about the impact of cuts. Most importantly, MPs are there to represent their constituents, that’s you!
What if I’ve never done anything like this before?
You don’t need any experience in campaigning or talking to your MP to join your regional lobby day. Your experiences are the most important thing: you’ll be joining a group of likeminded people from your area in sharing your experiences of cuts and making the case for properly funded education. Ahead of your lobby day we will run an online briefing session to go through everything you need to know before attending. From teachers to councillors to parents —we’re all in this fight together.
What will I learn from taking part?
Whatever happens in your conversation with your MP, every lobby day is a chance to connect with people in your area: share experiences, and get strategic about how to stop school cuts in your area. Visiting Parliament, you’ll get to look behind the curtain and see how MPs operate in their workplace and receive training on how to lobby effectively. It’ll be a day you won’t forget and a chance to take meaningful action to stop the cuts devastating our schools.
What happens between signing up and the date when my lobby is set?
Sit tight while event organisers confirm a date and set up a WhatsApp group for you to meet other people attending from your region. We’ll email you with a link to formally register once the date of the lobby has been confirmed. You might want to use this time to use the Stop School Cuts tool to research cuts in your area, or to invite friends to register for the lobby.
Should I contact my MP now to let them know I’d like to meet them?
Wait for the date to be confirmed and then you can formally invite your MP to the lobby. If you want to get the ball rolling, you can ask your MP to commit to our Stop School Cuts pledge to gauge their support and start a conversation about how cuts are affecting your area.
Will I receive any training or support?
You don’t need any experience of campaigning to join a lobby day. We’ll provide you with all the tools, training and resources you need to prepare to talk to MPs so you and your group can be confident in getting your story across. There will be opportunities for you to collaborate with others attending from your region so that everyone has a sense of what will happen when you meet your MPs, as well as your next steps after the lobby.
I know some people who would love to be part of this – can I invite them?
Absolutely! We want as many people as possible to share their experiences of school cuts. Invite your colleagues, other parents, neighbours and friends, but make sure everyone coming has registered on the form so that event organisers know how many people to expect.
Can I join the lobby online?
All of the lobbies will be in-person in the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London. If you can’t join us, there are plenty of ways to build momentum on this issue in your community.
What happens if I can’t make the date of my lobby?
Even if you can’t attend the lobby, you can help build momentum in your area so as many people as possible attend and put pressure on your MP. You could:
đź’¬ Spread the word about the regional lobbies with colleagues, friends and family to we can get as many people registered as possible.
✍️ Write to your MP and ask them to sign the stop school cuts pledge on our website.
đź’¬ Share your experiences of school cuts and the impact on your local schools by submitting a quote that we can use to amplify the issue on social media.
🖼️ If you’re on social media, there will be opportunities for you to help us make some noise ahead of your region’s lobby day. Make sure you’re following us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
📎 For those of you who are very keen, why not order some campaign materials and get leafleting? You’ll help to turbocharge awareness about school cuts in your area.