Teaching unions: Schools in East Lancashire will lose more cash

Analysis by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) previously warned £70million - the equivalent of 1,700 teachers, would be lost across the area by 2019.

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But, after revising their figures union bosses said the area would lose more than £73million or the equivalent of 1,975 teachers.

The new figures take into account the government’s second consultation on the national funding formula which is being introduced to address historical unfairness in funding.

The revised figures show Blackburn with Darwen would lose more than £11million by 2019 - the equivalent of around 300 teachers or £456 per pupil while in Lancashire schools would lose more than £62million - the equivalent of £399 per pupil or 1,675 teachers.

But government chiefs said the figures, which take into account other factors such as inflation, are ‘fundamentally misleading’. Simon Jones, of the NUT, warned children from families who are ‘just about managing’ will be hit the hardest.

He said: “It is impossible to deliver an effective education to pupils if there is no money for staff, buildings, resources, materials, activities or a full subject choice.”

Cllr Dave Harling, executive member for schools and education at Blackburn with Darwen Council said:, has warned funding pressures have already led to less support services outside of schools. “Deprivation in general has a negative impact on the development of children and young people and this has been made more difficult to tackle by the cuts.”

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “These figures are fundamentally misleading.

“School funding is at its highest level on record and will be over £40 billion in 2016-17. To suggest that we are taking money out of the system is simply incorrect; we are protecting per-pupil funding so where pupil numbers rise, the amount of money schools receive will increase.”