An MP demonstrating against schools being forced to close early over a lack of funds has dropped her child off at Number 10 in protest.

Jess Phillips, the MP of Birmingham Yardley, has joined hundreds of parents, teachers and children in Parliament Square to highlight that some English schools are reportedly unable to afford to educate pupils for a full five days.

The primary school attended by Ms Phillips's 10-year-old son Danny is one of the estimated 250 schools cutting the school week short after Friday mornings or at least considering it.

Image: Danny, Jess Phillips's son, studies on the doorstep

"It's not just about my son. It's about thousands of children across the country," she said.

Danny, his best friend Morris and two other children were dropped off by the MP on the front step of 10 Downing Street where they completed some school work to symbolise the government's responsibility to educate the nation's children on a Friday afternoon.


Speaking outside the prime minister's residence, she told Sky News: "Today, like every Friday afternoon from now on, my son will no longer be able to go to school because austerity measures over years and years have degraded school budgets."

Ahead of the protest, she told Sky News: "I'm going to sit him on the front of the Downing Street steps and he's going to do some homework there because it its their responsibility to be looking after and educating our children for five days a week."

Image: The children completed some school work in front of the cameras

Ms Phillips, who was leading the Save Our Schools march, said: "This is about the principle that the average person on the street thinks children should go to school five days a week. The average person thinks there are basic, minimum standards in our public services and we are currently degrading them. If we don't talk about it, we will never get that back.

"We will start to accept that some schools, largely in poorer areas, don't get as much schooling."

Ms Phillips says the government needs to plough £3bn into schools to fix the problem, plus £1.2m a year to keep schools afloat.

Image: The children gathered on the step of 10 Downing Street

The Labour MP said her son's school had already had to increase the number of students in each class, cut teaching staff, sports facilities and pastoral care.

She said: "They have cut back on absolutely everything and have been left with nothing. It is the government's responsibility - it's all to do with funding."

Ms Phillips also raised that schools shutting for half a day of the existing school week will have ramifications on working parents who are unable to arrange or afford child care.

The MP acknowledged that by taking her child out of school for the day she could be fined under government rules.

Image: Jess Phillips says 250 schools have already or are considering cutting down the school week

"The government rules state that I should be fined," she said, adding sarcastically, "but it's fine for them to take my children out of school."

Asked about how her son felt about being involved in the demonstration, she said: "He's absolutely thrilled."