A CAMPAIGNING head teacher has said he is "disgusted" to learn the Government has been "deceitful" over figures about its spending on schools.

Alan Garnett, head at North Primary School, Colchester, was among hundreds of school leaders to march to Downing Street last month to challenge crippling cash cuts.

But the Government claims it is giving schools more money than ever before.

However, it has also now emerged the Department for Education's funding claim includes all types of spending, for school and university, including tuition fees.

This encompasses the fees paid by parents on private school fees.

Mr Garnett said: "The Government's response to the headteachers' claim that we are facing an eight per cent shortfall has been that they are giving us more money than ever before.

"I do have more money in my budget this year than last year but this rise has fallen well short of meeting my costs. I have accused the Government of being disingenuous.

"Following this report it appears they have not been disingenuous at all, they have been deceitful. I am disgusted."

Geoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union, said: "We have also looked at the OECD data quoted by the Department for Education and it does seem to include spending on private education as well as on university tuition fees.

"It is extraordinary that the department used that statistic to defend its record on school funding. I think that school leaders and teachers feel that the DfE is disrespecting them when it uses statistics which don't bear any analysis."

The OECD [Economic Co-operation and Development] think tank that compiles the international comparisons of spending figures confirmed those quoted by education ministers defending their record on state school spending also included the money spent by parents on private school fees.

But on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, the School Standards Minister, Nick Gibb, said: "We are spending record amounts on our school funding. We are the third highest spender on education in the OECD."

The OECD is a group of 34 member countries that discuss and develop economic and social policy.

Mr Garnett said next year’s school budget has a £100,000 shortfall - about eight per cent of its annual budget.

Despite the school making savings and finding ways to increase income over the last year - including not replacing some staff who left last term - it is being forced to make learning support staff redundant.