"Cuts will lead to fewer teachers and bigger class sizes"

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) and Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) said a national shake-up in funding could lead to a 17 per cent cut to budgets at some schools.

The unions predicted cuts in teacher numbers and deputy council leader Cllr Gordon Watson said the changes would lead to larger class sizes.

Council leader Cllr Chris Read has signed a letter from 30 of the authorities expected to be hardest-hit complaining to the Government, but the Department for Education dismissed the claims as “irresponsible scaremongering”.

Rotherham NUT divisional secretary and Rotherham ATL branch secretary Fred Sprague said the rethink of the schools funding formula, which is expected to see funds re-allocated nationally regardless of relative deprivation levels, were “poorly thought-out”.

He said an overall funding freeze would mean “no winners, only losers”.

The unions said the cuts would tot up to more than £19.05 million - the equivalent of 528 teacher posts in Rotherham.

Thrybergh Academy and Sports College could lose £966 per pupil and Wales High School £918 per child, the unions claimed.

A spokesman said the NUT and ATL feared cuts in teacher numbers, a narrower curriculum and “the acceleration of the ‘exam factory’ approach”.

He added: “Reallocating inadequate levels of overall funding will not address the funding crisis in education. 

“We are campaigning for additional funding, so we can achieve the funding reform we need without cutting funding for any school.”

Former teacher Cllr Watson said he feared staff cuts, increased class sizes and more minor subjects being axed.

“Thirty of the more deprived areas would lose £245 million under these proposals and 30 of the the least deprived will gain £280 million, Cllr Watson added. “We are saying if some areas need more money, don’t do it by taking it from us.”

Re-allocating funding according to population levels would take no account of deprivation levels, Cllr Watson said.

“When we go round our schools, we don’t see gold plated desks,” he said. “We are not awash with money.

“You can’t save that amount of money without cutting teachers, teaching assistants and subjects.

“Reducing teaching assistants will mean the more disadvantaged students missing out on the support they need.”

Situations like Maltby Academy’s decision to axe music would arise more often, Cllr Watson predicted, saying: “Schools will have to make a judgement about these subjects.”

Cllr Watson said he hoped, as consultation was still going on, the Government may still step back from the controversial changes.

A DfE spokeswoman said the unions claims were “irresponsible scaremongering, based on figures that are entirely speculative”.

She pointed out the new schools formula, set to be introduced in 2018, had yet to be drawn up.

The current schools budget was the highest on record, the spokesoman said, adding: “The Government’s fairer funding proposals will ensure that areas with the highest need attract the most funding and end the historic unfairness in the system.”