THE NASUWT teaching union has issued a stark warning about the impact of funding cuts to some schools in Swindon.

Teaching staff face the axe amid financial cuts to three schools serving pupils in some of Swindon’s poorest areas, with Churchfields Academy forced to shed up to nine jobs if the fiercely-contested proposals get the go-head.

The academy, which has the highest number of children claiming free schools meals in the borough, faces a budget cut of £281,520. Nova Hreod will have £338,947 removed and Dorcan Technology College £166,025 under the planned new funding regime.

NASUWT south west regional organiser Fiona Westwood said: “The removal of funding always causes anxiety, and in this case we are gravely concerned about redundancies affecting teachers at the three schools concerned.

“It is not the case that they can easily go and get a job elsewhere and if it happens it will be a traumatic experience for the people involved.

“We know what’s being talked about in terms of nine teachers at one of the schools and if that number is the same at the other two than we are talking about quite a high list of casualties.”

Miss Westwood blamed the Government for sparking the row, rather than the Schools Forum, the independent funding body which drew up the plans.

The plans, worked out by a formula based on the number of pupils at each school, will go before the council today.

The council has said the new system will be fairer, easier to understand and based on current needs rather than past problems at schools. The local authority is also providing a £600,000 one-off payment to each of the schools hardest hit .