Labour councillors have warned Barnet schools could be set to lose funding up to £497 per pupil.

Their word of warning comes from figures the opposition group calculated from the new National Funding Formula, cash freezes on funding per pupil and a 75 per cent cut to the Education Services Grant.

According to Barnet Labour’s numbers, schools will lose £23,181,571 by 2019, the equivalent of 622 teachers.

Woodhouse councillor Anne Hutton put a motion forward at last night’s (January 31) council meeting in Hendon town hall urging the council to dispute the national changes to funding which could result in the cuts.

She said: “The impact of these cuts would be devastating to local schools and the children attending them.

“We have already been told by several head teachers their schools are in an unsustainable position financially and there is no slack in their budgets to cope with further cuts.

“Even Conservative councillors on the CELS committee have admitted that Barnet's schools are facing potential funding cuts under the new formula.

“Now is the time for them to actually take a stand and do something publicly about this by supporting my motion and the action it proposes.”

The motion was defeated in a vote of 32 to 29 councillors against, as Conservative councillors said they would welcome the new National Funding Formula and disputed Labour’s calculations.

Cllr Reuben Thompstone, chair of the children, education, libraries and safeguarding committee, promised to release his correspondence with former education secretary Nicky Morgan over the issue.

He said: “National Funding Formula figures put together by council officers for the ‘worst case scenario’ work out the average per pupil loss at less than £136.

“The reality is likely to be much lower – a far cry from Labour’s alarmist figures of £497 per pupil.

“Maths has never been Labour’s strongpoint, which might explain how they almost bankrupted the council last time they were in power, at a time when several schools were in special measures.

“Under the Conservatives the borough has benefited from prudent financial management and some of the best education results in the country.”

According to Labour councillor for West Finchley Ross Houston, the Conservative’s projection is over a shorter term than Labour’s calculations.

Schools will have a transition year where cuts are capped at three per cent, which Cllr Houston said makes up the bulk of Cllr Thompstone’s calculations.

Accusing Cllr Thompstone of “fudging” his figures, Cllr Houston asked him to appeal against cuts to Barnet schools to the national government.