Government schools have warned they may have to lose teachers, hire staff or cut courses to meet rising energy bills.
Essex’s Sweyne Park School said it was prepared for an annual gas bill of £580,000 under a new tariff in October, 346% more than the £130,000 it currently pays.
Finance Director Simon Smith said it was “without a doubt” that staff or class changes would impact students.
The government said the funding has made the cost increases “largely affordable”.
Rayleigh Secondary School has solar panels in one of its teaching blocks but most of the school is heated by gas boilers.
“We may have to consider reducing the number of our employees; we may try not to replace staff,” added Mr. Smith.
“We may look at some of our courses and where we have small group sizes we cut them down.”
At Kesgrave High, another state school near Ipswich, headmistress Julia Upton said she was “nervous” about the compromises that would have to be made.
Energy efficient windows will be installed and the roof will be re-felted and re-insulated.
“If we end up having to lose some employees because of this financial pressure, it will only put more strain on those who remain,” she said.
“On the one hand we try to attract employees to the job and keep them in the job with a salary bonus, but on the other hand we probably make the conditions more difficult for them.”
In a Times Education Supplement survey of 121 school principals released Tuesday, 77% said they could cut back on heating.
About 29% said they might need to consider downsizing, while 53% said they might need to pause hiring.
The Department for Education said schools budgets would increase by £7bn by 2024-2025 and they would get a 7% per pupil increase in funding in 2022-23, which is “largely affordable for schools”.
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