Schools across the Westcountry are to be given a welcome funding boost over the next three years, it has been announced.

Every local council in the South West is to receive a share of the £120bn allocated nationally by Gordon Brown's Labour government for 2008-2011.

Jim Knight, the Minister for Schools and Learners, said the announcement was "great news" for schools across the country.

"This settlement is great news for pupils, teachers and parents. It builds on the foundations of the last 10 years of record growth in school funding and ensures that every school and local authority receives further increases in funding per pupil each year," he said.

"We want maximum resources targeted at teaching and learning. That's why we are giving schools the financial stability to plan ahead with confidence, with the first-ever three year funding settlement.

Jim Knight, the Minister for Schools and Learners: "This settlement is great news for pupils, teachers and parents. It builds on the foundations of the last 10 years of record growth in school funding and ensures that every school and local authority receives further increases in funding per pupil each year."

"On top of the basic increases there is significant additional funding to support our priorities: personalisation and special educational needs, progression, additional cash for schools in pockets of deprivation, extended schools and the extended offer to three- and four-year-olds."

Nationally, funds invested in schools have nearly doubled in the last decade. In 2008-09, £38bn will be invested compared to about £20bn in 1996-97.

In 2009-10, school funding will reach £39.8m, while this figure will jump to £41.9bn in 2010-11.

This brings the overall average spend per child to £6,600, up from around £3,000 in 1997.

Teachers' unions in the South West welcomed the Government’s idea of a three-year budget.

Kathy Wallis, a spokeswoman for the National Association of Schoolmasters union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), and a teacher at Bodmin College, told the Western Morning News: "A three-year budget is great because it gives us time to plan ahead and put inventive ideas in place as well as get a proper staffing plan in place.”

Andy Woolley, a regional spokesman for the National Union of Teachers (NUT), also told the newspaper: "It is much more helpful for schools to have a three-year notice of funding so they can plan ahead."