School chiefs could axe teachers or cut their hours amid funding crisis
SCHOOL heads are looking to cull teachers or cut back their hours due to the funding crisis, a survey has found.
Pupils could miss out on after-school clubs or class trips as half of head teachers look to make desperate cuts to balance the books.
Two thirds of heads say they will also have to make classroom assistants redundant or reduce their workload in the face of spiralling costs - which could lead to larger class sizes.
Schools are being hit with rising energy costs and meet the impact of pay rises for staff despite no extra cash from government.
More than eleven thousand heads took part in the survey, mostly from primary schools, with 54 per cent saying they will go into deficit without making further cuts.
Paul Whiteman, boss of the school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Schools are being hit by a perfect storm of costs.
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“The only things left to cut are things that will have a real immediate impact on children – and especially those who are already the most disadvantaged and vulnerable.
“This goes against everything school leaders strive for, and the anger and desperation I am hearing from my members is unprecedented.
Meanwhile, a study commissioned by MyTutor found that 26 per cent of heads will be cutting back on catch-up classes.
Florence Milner, UK Schools General Manager at MyTutor, said: “Catching up lost learning is extremely difficult.
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“But it’s even more difficult when the financial pressures on schools are so acute.
"Budget constraints are now biting more than ever and having a significant impact on our most vulnerable children.”
