UNION chiefs in the town are warning cuts to education funding will hit schools and colleges in Warrington hard.

Shaun Everett, Warrington NUT division secretary, and Beth Purnell, executive member for the area, headed to London yesterday, Wednesday, to lobby parliament over the lack of funding and have urged parents to be aware of changes in the classroom.

Beth added: "Parents need to be aware, asking questions and getting on board lobbying to stop these cuts by writing to their MP.

"The government says they're not cutting education spending but the same amount of money is going into schools while costs including national insurance and pension contributions have gone up on top of the cost of introducing new tests and changes to the curriculum.

"This impacts on children in the classroom with a lack of support resources, less money for teaching assistants to support children and schools having to dip into their reserves for repairs to school buildings."

More than 2,000 teachers currently work in Warrington with many members described as 'severely stressed and overworked'.

Concerns have also been raised over experienced teachers being pushed out of their jobs and replaced with cheaper newly qualified staff, the amount paid to private companies for supply teachers and increasing class sizes.

Shaun added: "From a parents' point of view, they're going to start seeing larger class sizes with bottom sets going from 24 to 28 pupils.

"It may not seem like many but over five classes a day that can be an extra three hours marking books which means teachers have less time for doing things like running after school clubs and talking to children which are the moments that making teaching worthwhile."

And it is not just primary and secondary schools affected as the union also fears teenagers will face a lack of choice when it comes to colleges and courses as sixth forms can no longer afford to fund less popular subjects.

Shaun added: "Teachers are doing everything they can so that it doesn't impact on children including buying their own resources.

"They do their best for the kids in class and won't want to admit things are difficult.

"We want parents to be asking their heads questions over whether the school is adequately funded and if not write to their MP to support head teachers."

A Department for Education spokesman said the government is taking 'difficult decisions' to ensure school budgets are protected.

He added: “We know the quality of teachers is essential to young people’s success, which is why we are pleased that teaching remains a hugely popular profession with the highest numbers of people joining since 2008, and there are now 13,100 more full-time equivalent teachers than in 2010.”