St Albans head's shock as sixth-form funding is suddenly cut

SHOCK cuts to Government spending on sixth-form education have left a St Albans head teacher reeling. Secondary school head teachers across the country received news of the cuts on Monday just weeks after their original budgets had been confirmed by the

SHOCK cuts to Government spending on sixth-form education have left a St Albans head teacher reeling.

Secondary school head teachers across the country received news of the cuts on Monday just weeks after their original budgets had been confirmed by the Government's Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

Alan Gray, head teacher at Sandringham School, said that he was "very shocked" when he received the news on Monday evening. He has since estimated a loss of �116,000 to his sixth-form budget.

Said Mr Gray: "I'm hoping that the Government will realise their mistake. You know that there's something wrong with the system when you get news of a budget cut half-way through making preparations for September."

Mr Gray had already employed two new staff members before he received news of the change in funding and said that should the cuts go ahead, it would be the biggest challenge he has faced during his four years as head teacher.

Sandy Walkington, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for St Albans, said that he was also disappointed with the Government's decision and added: "Sixth form is a crucial period in education and it can't just be turned on or off like a tap. This is a bolt from the blue for hard-pressed local heads."

Herts County Council, which was told about the cut just hours before the schools were notified, has estimated a loss of �4 million for the whole county. County representatives are due to attend a meeting with the LSC this week to discuss what the impact might be.