Wandsworth Council has joined the public protest against the Fair Funding Formula (FFF) by calling on the Government to have a "serious rethink" on the proposals.

A consultation on the FFF, which would result in school funding being spread more equally across the UK, closed on March 22.

The proposals have been met with wide spread disapproval, although the figures on the loss of funding are disputed.

The official Government projections, if the plans go ahead, show 61 out of 66 Wandsworth schools will experience a funding reduction of 1.84 by 2019, which equates to around £2 million.

However, according to figures released by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) , Wandsworth schools are set to "lose £15,612,273 by 2020" which is the equivalent to losing 419 teachers or £603 per pupil.

The council’s education spokesman Councillor Kathy Tracey has said ministers need to rethink their plans over the cuts.

Cllr Tracey said: "Our response to the consultation calls on ministers to have a serious re-think and come back with a revised set of proposals that do not penalise schools in London.

"Schools in the capital have received more funding per pupil than other parts of the country for many years but this simply reflects the higher costs of operating in London, where for example teacher’s wages need to reflect the extra costs associated with living and working in an expensive city.

"London’s schools have risen to the challenge and raised standards of teaching and learning. It is important the any changes to the funding formula do not jeopardise these achievements.”

Jeremy Ambache, Wandsworth Labour spokesperson for education and children’s services, said it was "good news" the council is opposing the FFF.

He said: "Cllr Tracey is right to argue for our schools not to be penalised by budget cuts.

"One hopes that Justine Greening, the Education Minister and local Putney MP, will listen to her own Council on this matter.

"However, Cllr Tracey does not acknowledge the full extent of the schools funding crisis. 

"As well as the proposed cuts in our local school budget, as a result of the changes to the school funding formulae, the government plans not to increase school funding to cover rising costs - for inflation, national insurance, pensions and apprenticeships.

"This will mean a cut in the spending power of school of some 7-8 per cent by 2019-20.

"This is why the NUT predicts a loss in Wandsworth of £15.6m and the equivalent of 419 teachers.

"We continue to get massive support from parents on the campaign to protect school funding.

"The government needs to ‘re-think’  both the National Funding Formula and the need to fund school’s rising costs."