ST Helens schools will have to make “radical” cuts in order to make a balanced budget for 2019-20, a teachers’ union secretary has said.

Andy Howard, secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) for St Helens, spoke to the Local Democracy Reporting Service for a special report on the school funding crisis.

This was after primary schools across St Helens wrote to thousands of parents and carers in January over fears budgets will be “unsustainable” by 2019.

“I don’t know of any teachers that aren't going into 19-20 budget setting meeting that will not have to make radical cuts in order to balance the budget,” Mr Howard said.

“Which is why all of them wanted to make it public knowledge.”

Mr Howard said the picture for schools is a “bleak one”, adding that teachers want ministers to start being honest with just how much funding it is providing for mainstream schools.

The Legh Vale Primary School head teacher said: “Previously we have heard from small schools about budget pressures. A lot of large schools seem to have been protected.

“But now it is all of them. They have been cut to the core.

“You can reduce learning support hours, but then it is the most vulnerable children in schools that will suffer. You get to the point where you can’t do any more.

“The money isn’t enough to carry on. We’re doing what we can to fund a school.

“Since I have been a head in 2010, these children have known nothing but austerity.

“I feel the government should be investing in these children.

“They are the future. That’s what upsets me.”

Despite the funding concerns, the DfE pointed to the latest published data that shows that no local authority-maintained schools were in deficit in St Helens in 2017-18.

Additionally, the DfE said in 2017-18, maintained schools in St Helens held total surpluses of £9.2 million.

The DfE said it is supporting schools and head teachers, and local authorities, to “make the most of every pound”.

Cllr Joe Pearson, St Helens Council’s cabinet member for developing young people, said that unless the lack of funding is addressed, realistically the current problems are going to increase.

“The mood of head teachers is, they are upset, they’re disappointed,” Cllr Pearson said.

“They don’t feel they can do the job that they are there to do.

“They would like to see some resolution to the underfunding of schools and that is in the hands of central government.”

A spokesman for the DfE said that, since 2017, the government has provided every local authority more money for every pupil in every school.

“St Helens is receiving an increase of 4.7% per pupil for its schools in 2019-2020, compared to 2017-18 funding levels – an increase of £7.4 million when rising pupil numbers are also taken into account,” the DfE said.

“But we do recognise the budgeting challenges schools face and that’s why we’re supporting schools and head teachers, and their local authorities, to make the most of every pound.”