A Plumstead primary school headteacher has said he would sooner resign than make further cuts to staffing levels at his school.

Richard Slade, headteacher of Plumcroft Primary School in Plumstead, spoke at an education event, criticising the cuts being made by the current Government to education.

He said: “The reality from my point of view, just to deliver a balanced budget, is I’m not replacing staff that leave.

“I’m not allowing external supply to cover sickness, and we’re cutting our support for special needs.

“If I’m going to deliver those kinds of cuts, standards are going to fall, the needs of the most vulnerable aren’t going to be met and there’s a point where my school isn’t going to be safe because I physically won’t have enough adults in a large school.

“I believe that’s unacceptable. If I’m required to do that, there’s a point where I’m going to stand by my principles on a moral imperative – and I love what I do, and I’m good at what I do…but there's a point where resignation is the only option.”

Mr Slade warned that the cuts were “crippling schools. He said: “There’s a point where I will have no alternative – because I’m not going to implement that level of cut – to resign.”

Patrick Foley, headteacher at Southborough Primary School in Bromley, said: "I’ve looked at my budget. I haven’t got 3 per cent of efficiency cuts in my budget. The percentage I spend on staffing doesn’t enable me to have those cuts.

"I’m going to have to make choices as every head up and down the land is going to."

Juliana Johnston has two children who attend the Joan Roan School in Greenwich. She said joined the Greenwich Campaign for State Education (CASE) because she was concerned about schools’ futures.

She said: “I joined CASE because I am concerned at the damage being done to our school system through underfunding and structural changes.

“I fear the cuts to be made will lead to a narrowing of the curriculum, larger class sizes, staff redundancies and work overload for staff still employed.

“None of this will benefit students, staff or our education system as a whole.”

Clive Efford, MP for Eltham, spoke in a House of Commons debate on school funding, noting that according to the Government's own figures 74 out of 77 schools in Greenwich are now facing cuts.

Mr Efford said: “Schools in Greenwich look set to see their annual budget cut by £20,659,106 by 2019 – the equivalent of losing 554 teachers.

“This would have a devastating impact on local schools and would lead to increased class sizes, loss of school staff and cuts to extra-curricular activities and resources. This is effectively a tax on our children’s future.”