POOLE is in a ‘dire situation’ over school funding, millions of pounds short of being able to meet its obligations.

The borough, which is facing around a 55 per cent reduction in capital funding for schools, is appealing for urgent help from government.

With a shortfall in funds and a booming birth rate, budget decisions about to be taken will mean inevitable disappointment for some pupils and schools across the borough.

In a strongly worded letter, Borough of Poole council leader, Cllr Elaine Atkinson, is seeking a meeting with schools minister Lord Hill.

Changing its emphasis from buildings to teachers, the coalition government has axed nine funding programmes, including Building Schools for the Future, and the council will get £12million less than it expected.

Instead of a three-year allocation, it will receive £3.9 million for one year while a national review is carried out. Government capital funding going directly to schools is being cut by 82 per cent.

“The challenge the government has set us is to do more for less,” said Andrew Flockhart, strategic director at the Borough of Poole, who said they would be seeking savings on capital schemes.

“Our top priorities in this situation are completing plans for the age of transfer and providing school places for children who need them,” he said.

However with doubts over adequate funding even for that, the harsh realities are: • Montacute and Winchelsea special schools will not get new buildings under BSF • While St Aldhelm’s Academy received £11m for a new school it is less than the £21m expected – however Ashdown got £15m.

• And the big loser under the primary capital programme is Hillbourne School and Nursery, identified as being in the worse condition of any school in the borough, needing a £7.8m rebuild.

“We can’t fund a new build at Hillbourne,” said Mr Flockhart. “The schools that are going to go ahead will be designed at minimal cost. That’s the only way we can do this.”

The ambitious Changing the Age of Transfer is a complex scheme for youngsters to move to a secondary school at age 11, which has already been delayed from 2009 to 2013.

Already £35m of government, council and schools funding has been invested in what is a legal obligation, but with the cancellation of previous existing funding, there might not be enough money to complete the task.

Around £18m has gone to Poole and Parkstone Grammar Schools and Poole High, and there has been some for Carter and St Edwards.

Cllr Atkinson said: “We have to deliver what we believe are our obligations to the children of Poole, which is to make sure they have a school place and that they benefit from the best quality education and transfer in place with the majority of the rest of the country.”

However that is about to become even more of a challenge with a big wave in the birth rate about to hit the education system. Up to 2014 a further 400 school places are needed, in a swathe from Hamworthy to Lilliput.

Of those places, 150 are needed from this September and millions has been spent on Lilliput, Baden-Powell, Sylvan, Longfleet, St Aldhelms Combined and Talbot Heath schools.

“This is not being caused by lots of people settling in Poole. This is Poole people having more children,” said Cllr Atkinson.

Factfile: Funding programmes for schools axed by the Government

Funding programmes axed by the government, the majority of money lost was from the first two:

• Building Schools for the Future – £35m over the next three years

• Primary capital programme – £12m over the next three years

• Schools access initiative – a fund to make schools more accessible for disabled children

• Extended schools – outside hours activities

• Harnessing technology – transforming learning

• Sure start capital grant – early years programme

• Early Years quality and access capital grant – improving the environment

• Youth capital grant – for community projects led by young people

• Short Breaks capital grant – for disabled youngsters to engage in play and leisure activities.

Government's statement

The Department for Education said in a statement from schools minister Nick Gibb:

“The Spending Review announced real terms increases for schools showing the government’s commitment to education.

“Spending totals were based on the best forecast of inflation at the time, produced by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility. We always knew these were forecasts of inflation and subject to change – undoubtedly these will change again.

“What is not changing is the Government’s commitment to schools. By making large cuts at the centre, we have been able to protect the overall schools budget in cash terms and cash increases remain as announced in the Spending Review.”