PARENTS have hit out at "devastating" cuts to school funding in South Gloucestershire by hosting a Star Wars themed protest.

Over 100 concerned residents gathered outside Winterbourne International Academy on Sunday (May 14) to voice their opposition to budget cuts while wearing Star Wars outfits.

Their main concern is the government's new national funding formula, which is intended to make school funding across the country fairer.

Although South Gloucestershire is already one of the worst funded areas in the country, it could face millions of pounds of cuts under the new rules, which links the amount of funding available to the individual needs of each local authority area.

Alison Cook, one or the organisers behind Sunday's 'May the Funding be with you' protest, said: "We are a handful of parents wanting to raise awareness of the devastating effects of school funding cuts.

"We're campaigning against the prospect of class size increases, less teachers and less individual support for our children."

Full report in this week’s Gazette.