HAMPSHIRE’S specialist sports schools face losing tens of thousands of pounds of funding in the Government’s spending cuts, it was claimed last night.

Labour’s shadow sports minister said a leaked document revealed plans to end the specialist status for sports schools and colleges and axe their extra funding.

But last night further fears were raised that all ten different school specialisms could be axed, with funding being reverted to the central budget for redistribution among all secondary schools.

Daily Echo: For a video of the top stories in today's Daily Echo, click the front page.

Specialist sports schools receive an extra £129 a year per pupil – worth around £130,000 for a typical secondary.

Southampton has two schools with sports as a specialism, Redbridge Community School, and St George Catholic College.

Richard Schofield, who was Redbridge’s head teacher for 12 years before retiring in the summer, told the Daily Echo he would be “flabbergasted” if sports schools were singled out for cuts.

The Government is tomorrow due to announce where billions of pounds of cuts will come.

Mr Schofield said: “Statistically sports colleges have made more progress in attainment and achievement than almost any other specialism.

“We’ve pretty much resigned ourselves to the fact that funding for specialisms in school in its current form will almost certainly disappear.”

If any specialisms are cut it will be the latest financial blow to Southampton’s schools, after the coalition scrapped the Building Schools for the Future programme shortly after coming to power.

That prompted the Daily Echo to launch its Best Deal for Our Schools campaign, which, backed by politicians, education experts and business leaders, is calling on the Government to give the city a fair share of any funding.

Alan Whitehead, Labour MP for Southampton Test, said axing sports specialisms would be “a grievous blow”.

He said: “It appears to be part of a wider attack on sports in schools, when there is very wide agreement that sports programmes and specialisms play a key role in raising educational standards.”

The Department for Education refused to comment on Labour’s claims ahead of tomorrow’s announcement.

Additional reporting by Andy Tate

Schools that could be affected

Hampshire’s specialist sports schools are:
■ Bridgemary Community Sports College, Gosport
■ Brighton Hill Community School, Basingstoke
■ Carisbrooke High School, IoW
■ Hamble Community Sports College
■ The Henry Cort Community College, Fareham
■ Noadswood School, Dibden Purlieu
■ Perins School, Alresford
■ St George Catholic College, Southampton
■ Sandown High School, Isle of Wight
■ Redbridge Community School, Southampton
■ Testwood Sports College, Totton
■ The Toynbee School, Chandler’s Ford.

What is a specialist school?

SPECIALIST schools are designed to boost standards by using their chosen subjects across the curriculum and improve community involvement, for which they receive extra ring-fenced funding.

Former head teacher at Redbridge Community School Richard Schofield said about 40 per cent of the cash is spent on community work, with the rest used on pupils.

He said: “The school has a remit to develop community involvement in its specialism, and has to be able to demonstrate how that specialism is used to drive up standards.

“For example, at Redbridge there’s a great deal of tie-up between practical activities that go on in PE and analysis of that performance in maths in terms of statistics and data.”