A school in Theresa May’s constituency is asking parents to buy toilet paper

A school in Theresa May‘s constituency of Maidenhead has put together an Amazon ‘wish list’ of supplies for parents to purchase for teachers and pupils. The wish list comes as the Prime Minister argues her government is spending more on schools “than ever before”.

The Maidenhead Advertiser reported that St Edmund Campion Catholic Primary School sent an Amazon wish list of 17 items to parents. The list, distributed on Monday (June 11), included toilet paper as well as various office and classroom supplies, including pens, pencils, paper and adhesive tape.

The school said parents had asked for ways to support the school after reportedly claiming it had lost £70,000 in government funding cuts. It said in a statement: “The Amazon wish list is something we put together in response to parents asking for ways to support our school further.

“Whilst reduced school funding is naturally a concern, we’re in the fortunate position of being able to balance our budget for the next few years.”

However, the local council leader said the story was “politically-motivated utter nonsense”. The news led to heated debates on Twitter between parents and local politicians.

Catherine del Campo, who has a 10-year-old daughter at the school, wrote on Twitter: “In your constituency, @theresa-may, a school not just asking parents for extras, but basic essentials.

“As well as loo roll, I’ve sent some plasters. I thought about sending some to [Education Secretary] @DamianHinds too, but they didn’t have one big enough for the gaping hole in the education budget.”

In your constituency, @theresa_may, a school not just asking parents for extras, but basic essentials. As well as loo roll, I've sent some plasters. I thought about sending some to @DamianHinds too, but they didn't have one big enough for the gaping hole in the education budget. https://t.co/mDnJgv3vH8

— Catherine del Campo (@catherineosborn) June 14, 2018

Simon Dudley, leader of Conservative-run Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM), called the article “utter nonsense” and added “the percentage of good and outstanding schools in RBWM has never been higher at 86 per cent and rising.”

I chair a primary school in @RBWM#Maidenhead and this article is politically motivated utter nonsense #FakeNewshttps://t.co/7ijVur7NAJ

— Simon Dudley (@MrSimonDudley) June 14, 2018

In March May, who has served the Maidenhead constituency since 1997, told the House Of Commons her government were spending more on schools “than ever before”.

She also told the BBC in the same month: “When we leave the European Union, we’ll no longer be spending vast sums of money, year in and year out, sending that money to the European Union, so there will be money available here in the UK to spend on our priorities like the NHS and schools.”

A spokesman for the Department for Education said by 2020 schools would be getting 50 per cent more per pupil in real terms than they got in 2000 – and that the introduction of the National Funding Formula would address historic funding disparities.

Image: Jonathan Brady/PA and Dionne Kennedy