More than 90 per cent of Croydon school have cut staff in the past two years due to lack of funding - a survey has revealed.

MP for Croydon Central Sarah Jones, alongside the Croydon Headteachers’ Association surveyed 54 headteachers across the area with 95 per cent saying they were either ‘unhappy’ or ‘very unhappy’ with their school’s current funding situation.

Headteachers reported increasing difficulties with staff retention and support for vulnerable students with over 73 per cent of schools cutting teaching assistants and over a third cutting teachers themselves.

Principal of Oasis Academy Shirley Park, Louise Lee said: “The government made it clear they want to see schools deliver more rigorous, demanding curriculums. But as I told the minister, it’s important that schools get the resources to do that.

“These survey results confirm what Croydon headteachers have been saying for some time. This isn’t confined to certain schools, budgets are under pressure across the board, and there’s a real sense of frustration that Croydon’s unique needs compared to other outer London boroughs are still being ignored.”

Ms Jones has argued that Croydon schools receive significantly less funding than inner London boroughs, and are even below average for outer London boroughs.

Under current government plans for next year, secondary schools in Lambeth will receive an average of £2,047 more per pupil than Croydon under the new formula, while primary schools will receive £1,212 less.

Croydon also has the second highest number of schools in deficit in London according to recent figures.

"Our schools are getting thousands of pounds less per pupil than other areas, more and more are falling into deficit and it’s simply unsustainable," Ms Jones said.

"Schools have been treading water for two years - now they’re starting to sink.”