TWENTY-FOUR schools in the South Hams will lose more than £2million in funding between now and 2020 according to the National Union of Teachers and the ATL- the Education Union.

The NUT and the ATL have put together an interactive map to show the impact of the Government’s education cuts. In the South Hams, schools will lose an average of £84,854.32 in real terms over the next four years.

Kingsbridge Community College will lose £306,583 from their annual budget, a loss of £291 per child and the equivalent of eight teachers salaries. Other losses include primary schools in Kingsbridge- £122,543, Thurlestone - £13,884, Charleton - £2,995, Aveton Gifford - £11,903, Stokenham - £29,498 and Salcombe - £14,026.

Ivybridge Community College will lose £514,909 from their annual budget, £285 per child and the equivalent of thirteen teachers. Other losses include primary schools in Ermington - £5,794, South Brent - £74,774, Stowford - £118,268, The Erme - £1,240, Manor Primary - £45,311 and Woodlands Park - £59,653.

Dartmouth Academy is set to lose £400,594 from their annual budget, the equivalent of £886 per child and the equivalent of ten teachers. Other losses include primary schools in Blackawton - £32,718, Stoke Fleming - £31,355 and St John the Baptist Roman Catholic Primary - £11,626.

KEVICC (King Edward VI Community College) is set to lose £158,379 from their annual budget, £160 per child and the equivalent of four teachers. Other losses in the area include Dartington - £29,553, St Johns - £37,498, Buckfastleigh - £35,909, Stoke Gabriel - £11,493 and The Grove School -£45,056.

The numbers are calculated by the funding allocations by the Government, the plans to reallocate school budgets in line with new national funding formula and funding per pupil not increasing in line with inflation.

Roger Pope, CEO of KCC and Dartmouth Academy, said: 'School Budgets change year on year as a result of shifts in government policy. We have known for some time that schools would need to fund increases in pension contributions and national insurance contributions without receiving any additional money to cover this from the government. 'We have been prudently planning for some time, across all our schools, so that we are not caught out by the these increases. 'We try our very best to make the necessary reductions in budget without harming the quality of education that children receive. That is one of the reasons why we formed a Multi Academy Trust, and why we are growing that Trust through our merger with the Templer Academy Schools Trust. 'We will be able to achieve greater efficiencies and economies of scale with our back office and support services, so that we can maximise the amount of funding available for teachers and teaching. 'We also seek to maximise the leverage we have from our new size to bring in additional capital funding, or funding for special projects. For example, Kingsbridge Community College has just succeeded in securing £200,000 of additional funding as a Research School. We are in a challenging national climate, and we will do all we can to be creative and economical in order to maintain the high standards that we expect and which our students deserve.'Kevin Courtney, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: ‘No head teacher should be put in the position of increasing class sizes, leaving building repairs undone or cutting staff and resources simply to balance the books.

‘Nor should any parent accept this for their child. We are one of the richest countries in the world. We can and we should be funding our schools properly.’

Mary Bousted, ATL general secretary, said: ‘The Government must increase funding for schools. If it just reallocates the existing budget many children will lose out, with some of the most deprived hit hardest.

‘The formula for schools’ funding must not be reformed while making real terms cuts to spending. All children deserve a fair chance to succeed and should not suffer because schools are under-resourced and teachers over-worked.’

Devon County Council’s cabinet member for schools, James McInnes, said: ‘This is why we have been campaigning so strongly for fair funding for Devon’s schools. Despite securing extra money for our schools from the government, every Devon pupil is still worth £270 less than the national average.

‘That is why we support the government’s commitment to introducing a national funding formula and will be lobbying hard to see Devon’s schools being fairly funded.’

Across the South Hams, 24 schools will together lose £2,121,358 from their annual budget in real terms by 2020. Nationally, schools will lose £2.5billion a year, with an average cut of £96,481 per primary school and £290,228 per secondary school.

Ivybridge Community College, Dartmouth Academy and KEVICC did not respond to requests for comment. You can view the map here: www.schoolcuts.org.uk