Headteachers from across Kingston and New Malden joined hundreds of headteachers marching on Downing Street last week to protest over funding cuts.

Protesters gathered on September 28 to present a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond expressing concerns about the impact of reduced school budgets on local schools.

Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain programme, Sean Maher, headteacher of New Malden’s Richard Challoner School, said: “Schools have worked hard during this period of austerity to cut costs, make efficiencies and work with falling budgets.

“There is nothing left to cut other than staffing, school days or support for our most vulnerable students. We want to work with government to avoid falling off the cliff edge”.

A spokesperson for Richard Challoner School said: “Occasionally schools are even having to top up their budgets with monies targeted for students with special educational needs and disabilities.

“Schools acknowledge that the government should be given credit for introducing a new national funding formula.

“However, the formula is not adequately resourced and funded and therefore budgets remain at an unacceptably low level.”

The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.