SOME Swansea schools will have to make savings of more than £350,000 because of a drop in education funding.

Fears have been raised that across Swansea more than 100 teachers will lose their jobs, class sizes will rise and children's education will suffer because of budget cutbacks.

But the situation in individual schools is beginning to emerge, with six-figure shortfalls expected at a number of them.

Opposition education spokesman on Swansea Council, John Miles, told the Post he knew of at least one school which is expecting to have to close a gap in funding of £380,000 when its budget is revealed later this month.

Yesterday, the Post revealed that schools did not yet know what their final budget situation would be.

They are due to begin receiving their budgets from next Monday.

However, Councillor Miles said head teachers were expecting huge shortfalls in their finances.

He said: "At £380,000, they are talking about 10 teachers, or if they are on a higher level (of income), getting rid of senior teachers and bringing in teachers on a much lower scale.

"The only commodity schools have is teachers — 85 per cent of schools' budgets goes on salaries."

When the Post first revealed that Swansea Council's budget for 2010/11 included a cut of £4.5 million in the cash awarded to schools, heads warned that at least 100 teachers in the city would lose their job as a result.

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Councillor Miles, a former cabinet member for education on Swansea Council, said schools would consider making savings on things like school visits and sports, but once those options were exhausted, "they have to start looking at a reduction in staff."

The Pontarddulais councillor said that, while some secondary schools were facing six-figure shortfalls, he believed there were also primary schools looking at gaps of around £80,000.

He said: "That is a large amount for a primary school."

Councillor Miles is a school governor at Bryniago Welsh school and Pontarddulais comprehensive.

He said: "We are talking about job losses and having to revisit the curriculum, to see how best we can deliver it."

Cabinet member Mike Day said individual schools had yet to be given their budgets.

He said: "I think it is ridiculous at this stage to talk figures.

"Until the final budgets are out we don't know what the final position is."

However, Councillor Day added the administration did acknowledge that the funding situation was a problem for schools.

He said: "We do appreciate that the situation with funding and budgets this year is going to be bad.

"Education funding is a problem and it is going to inhibit schools' ability to provide good quality education. It is a national problem."

A council spokeswoman said schools were required to return balanced budgets.

She said: "Schools are required to set a balanced budget in each financial year under the Scheme for Financing Schools.

"If a school cannot set a balanced budget then either reserves are used and/or savings made.

"Should the school have significant financial difficulties then it can set a balance over a period of more than one year (normally two or three years) but only with permission from the local authority."

alex.brown@swwmedia.co.uk