Tiffin Boys School has been forced to hand out the begging bowl to parents, after blowing its entire £800,000 reserve fund in four years.

The grammar school’s GCSE results regularly rank among the top secondaries in England, but producing a steady stream of A* grades has not helped the school’s dire financial situation, which has seen it run £350,000 over budget in a single year.

Parents are being asked for donations of up to £1,200, while up to 10 members of staff are likely to be made redundant over the next 12 months.

An investigation has been launched by Kingston Council over the financial disaster. Outgoing headteacher Sean Heslop and the board of governors are facing questions over how the overspend was allowed to happen.

In a letter to parents, Tiffin chairman of governors Stuart Lester asked for families to dig deep to supplement the £520 standard contribution the voluntary aided school asks for each year.

He said: "We recognise that not everyone can afford to contribute, especially in the current financial climate.

"If you are able to pay some or all of the £10 a week contribution, and are not doing so already, now is a time when the school would particularly appreciate your support. If you can donate more, that would be very helpful."

The school is expected to ask for a £50,000 loan from Kingston Council to cover its debts.

Mr Lester added: "We have very low reserves, having steadily reduced them to subsidise improvements and organisational changes of the past four years.

"The governors and senior staff have been working closely with the local authority to put a sustainable budget plan in place and I am confident that the situation will be resolved without detriment to the boys' education.

"Nevertheless, we will need to make some reductions in our overall staff and other running costs."

Are you a Tiffin parent? How do you feel about being asked to pay extra for your children's education? Call Mike Didymus on 0208 330 9553 or leave a comment below.