Barnet Council has voted to accept changes to school funding which are “potentially devastating”, according to the opposition.

School union NAHT has calculated Barnet is set to lose £497 in funding per pupil when the new National Funding Formula is instated by the government.

The Conservative-controlled council voted not to resist the controversial changes in their official response to government consultation, which was debated at Tuesday’s (February 21) children, education, libraries and safeguarding committee (CELS).

Labour opposition councillors proposed to ask the government to return a £250 million funding gap for schools in England to the new formula, a motion which was voted down.

However, both sides did agree to mention in the council response how Barnet schools are facing rising costs and their funding decreases.

Labour’s education spokesperson, Cllr Anne Hutton said: “At a time when we should all be standing up and fighting for local schools, the Tories have just rolled over and supported these cuts.

“They are sitting on their hands and doing nothing.

“Schools have made it very clear they cannot absorb these cuts and the funding situation could damage children's education, so for the Tories to paint the funding proposals as fair is completely reckless.”

A coalition of 29 Barnet schools has already written a letter to the education secretary asking for reconsideration before the funding decisions are finalised.

Opposition councillors also criticised the committee’s decision not to refer the matter up to the full council for debate when it next meets on Tuesday, March 7.

According to the Conservative group, the item could not qualify as a ‘key decision’, meaning it could not have been sent to the full council.

Leader of the council Cllr Richard Cornelius said: “Once again Labour have shown themselves unfit to govern by failing to even learn the rules of the council.

“They asked the committee to delegate responsibility for providing a consultation response to an officer of the council.

“If they had bothered to read the constitution, they would know this request does not qualify as a key decision and therefore cannot be referred to full council.

“They also had a whole week to discuss this with officers but chose instead to chance it and throw their toys out of the pram when they didn’t get their way.”

Cllr Cornelius had previously stated he agreed with the aims of the National Funding Formula but not at the expense of Barnet schools.