I joined teachers on the picket line at my old primary school, Holy Trinity Church of England, as they took strike action to oppose plans to close the school.

What we’ve seen unfolding across the country is a vicious cycle of soaring living costs and falling budgets for local authorities and schools, as families are priced out of the area. Since so much school funding is provided on a per pupil basis, fewer pupils means a smaller pot. Coupled with swingeing cuts, this places serious pressure on local authorities and councils to cut provision.

Many schools in London are facing closure after 14 years of cuts to council budgets. Local Schools in Clapham & Brixton Hill have seen real terms funding cuts of £1,165 per pupil since 2010/11 according to the Stop School Cuts campaign.

I support Lambeth NEU members in their efforts to protect local school provision, which has been built up over years. As an MP for the local area, I’m very concerned that closures will see us losing valued staff in the middle of a wider retention and recruitment crisis in the teaching profession.

It’s great to see NEU members making the case for protecting local education provision and transitioning to smaller class sizes. This must be the ultimate aim of a Labour government that has stated its commitment to delivering excellence for everyone. Schools must be financially viable with smaller class numbers.

The current situation only underscores the urgent need for our new government to find a way to boost investment in schools and teachers. It’s also absolutely vital that we get a grip on the housing crisis by replenishing council housing stock and building more genuinely affordable homes.