New analysis has revealed that Suffolk’s schools are set to suffer a real-terms cut of £13.5 million next year.

Ipswich Labour analysis of the latest School Cuts data has shown that 266 out of 298 schools in the county will face real-terms cuts, with 36 having to contend with a shortfall of £100,000 or more. On average, there will be a real-terms reduction of £142 per pupil.

In terms of the largest overall real-terms cuts, Kesgrave High School is the worst impacted, with a reduction of £353,913. Whitehouse Community Primary School is the most severely affected primary school, with real-terms cuts totalling £165,529.

There are fears that the cuts will lead to larger class sizes, fewer subject choices and reduced individual support for children. This is in addition to more real-terms pay cuts, more unmanageable workloads and less time to teach each child for teachers.

After a decade of real-terms cuts to school budgets and teacher pay, school communities simply cannot afford to bear further cuts, the Prime Minister is being urged to fulfil his promise made at the 2021 Spending Review, when he pledged to “restore per-pupil funding to 2010 levels in real-terms”.

Jack Abbott, Labour and Co-operative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Ipswich, said: “After a decade of Conservative austerity, it would be devastating if Suffolk’s schools have to suffer real-term cuts of £13.5million next year.

“This level of funding reduction would have a devastating impact on our schools. It will likely mean that we would see staff cuts, larger class sizes and reduced choice and support for children.

“The Conservatives can’t keep shortchanging education – it is putting intolerable pressure on school staff and is having an impact on the pupils themselves. Rishi Sunak must start being ambitious for the next generation and finally fulfil his commitment to restore per-pupil funding to 2010 levels in real-terms.”