A SIXTH form has been forced to cancel two of its A-Level courses after last minute cuts in Government funding.

Schools in Gloucestershire are coming to terms with a sudden 3.7 per cent cut in their funding for post-16 education from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

Head teacher of Lady Katharine Berkeley’s School, in Wotton-under-Edge, Andrew Harris has had to cut two courses from his sixth-form timetable, Religious Education and Chinese, after being told he would receive around £47,000 less in funding this financial year.

"I do not want to go into a deficit, so I had to make the decision to close two courses," said Mr Harris.

"Even if the LSC turn round and decide they can give us some more money I will not be able to reverse it. I think the most serious point is the mismanagement of grants at a central government level, it is hard to find another word other than incompetent."

The Gloucestershire Schools Forum has written to Education Secretary Ed Balls saying the cuts are "totally unacceptable" and urging him to work with the LSC and reconsider the situation.

In the letter on behalf of the forum chairwoman Gillian Hayward said: "Given the emphasis there has been in recent years on predictability and stability in school funding, it is appalling that secondary schools should be notified of the revised figures on the March 30.

"This means that our schools, all of whom had already developed their draft budgets for next year, will have to go back, at very short notice, and make some very tough decisions about courses and jobs in order to cover the shortfall."

In an interview with the Gazette Mrs Hayward, of Hillesley, said: "There is a lot of anger and upset among the schools. They are angry that this should happen and at such short notice, it just appears incompetent."

Rednock School in Dursley is set to suffer from a £50,000 shortfall and on top of this the school is set to welcome an extra 100 pupils to their sixth form in September.

Head teacher David Alexander said: " At the moment we think we are going to be ok and we can still offer all our A-Level course but it is a big financial burden we have been given.

"We were really shocked to be told in March of the funding cut to the April budget, especially after having taken on the extra students, we just couldn’t understand how it could happen."

A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "As ministers have made clear, we are seeing an even greater surge in demand for places than we have budgeted for.

"We are still working across government on the extra financial support we need to provide for the new learners that are coming forward. The LSC will write again to schools and colleges at the end of this month."