A-Level students face bigger class sizes next year as education chiefs slash the cash available for school sixth forms.

Next year schools will get up to £40 less per pupil to spend on their 16 to 18-year-old students in real terms.

Some schools fear it will lead to redundancies and make less popular subjects such as Latin or Music uneconomic to teach at A-Level standard.

But education chiefs believe the growing number of A-Level students will allow schools to maintain their income by increasing class sizes by five or six pupils.

News of the reduction in sixth form spending came as Bolton education chiefs set a budget which could also lead to slightly larger class sizes in some secondary schools.

Councillors decided to cushion primary schools from massive budget cuts caused by falling rolls by increasing the amount they get paid per pupil by £7 above inflation.

But a higher than expected pay rise for teachers means they cannot put as much as they hoped into secondary schools to cope with a bulge in pupil numbers next year.

Secondary heads will get an extra £335,000 re-directed from primary schools and £89,000 extra from the Government - but this will not cover predicted inflation costs.

In real terms head teachers face a drop in income of about £5 per 11 to 16-year-old and up to £40 per sixth former - which could mean classes sizes going up slightly as head teachers balance the books.

Secondary schools spokesman John Reddy of Thornleigh told a special meeting of the education and arts committee: "It is a frightening thought for sixth forms.

"We are talking about an increase in the size of classes, redundancies and the end of smaller classes.

"I can see small groups such as Music, Latin and the Classics disappearing altogether from the curriculum."

But Bolton's schools chief, Ian Glaister, said: "We are talking about a growth in numbers of sixth form students and this should allow schools to look at the economies of scale.

"I admit it does mean larger class sizes but there should not be a reduction in the number of teachers."

Conservative councillors attacked the £89,000 extra being put into schools by the Government as inadequate and said the teachers' pay rise should have been funded in full.

Argue

But Cllr Pauline Spencer, deputy chairman of education, hit back angrily: "I think it is pathetic and impertinent for them to argue about the size of this increase when, during the past 18 years when we were forced to make cuts, they did not ask for an extra penny for children in Bolton schools."

Councillors had budgeted for a 2.5pc pay award for teachers but were forced to use an extra £776,000 earmarked for schools when they were awarded 3.5pc.

But Neil Duffield, Bolton Trades Council representative, pleaded: "I hope there is no unspoken intention to blame the teachers for the disappointing amount going into schools."

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