An academy in Kidbrooke must cut staff in a last-ditch bid to avoid falling into deficit.

Staff at the Halley Academy face uncertain futures as bosses of the Leigh Academy Trust (LAT) – the chain running the school – confirm that cuts are on the horizon.

Formerly Corelli College, the school in Corelli Road was originally Kidbrooke School – Britain’s first purpose-built comprehensive school.

The academy is one of 23 in the south of England now run by the trust, which said redundancies are treated as a last resort.

A spokesman said: “However, despite making significant savings elsewhere the pressure of rising costs such as energy and salaries, a new national funding formula, a drop in pupil numbers and the backdrop of ever-tightening school budgets, have resulted in us having to review staffing across the school to avoid a deficit.

“To ensure transparency a full financial explanation has been provided to unions and we are working with them to try and mitigate as many compulsory redundancies as possible.”

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It is understood that 11 teaching assistants, four learning mentors and four support staff are all in line to be axed.

Tim Woodcook, the division secretary of the Greenwich National Education Union, said the cuts would leave vulnerable children with a “skeleton service”.

“For a school to be looking at job losses that protect the most vulnerable students while senior leaders in the trust earn salaries in hundreds of thousands is not just morally indefensible but cruel,” Mr Woodcock said.

“We now have concerns that in reducing the role of teaching assistants and learning mentors to a skeleton service that the school will not be meeting their statutory duties for students with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) who require specialist support.

 “Support staff provide a vital role that teachers can’t do on their own. We will be challenging these cuts alongside other unions at Halley.”

The LAT said that vulnerable pupils will continue to be supported despite “reorganising” SEN facilities.

The spokesman added: “Specialist SEN advisers have been working with the leadership team at The Halley-academy to ensure that SEN facilities and support are re-organised in such a way to ensure that vulnerable pupils still receive the support they need to do well within the school.

“However, if any parents have specific SEN concerns relating to their child we would be happy for them to contact the school so that we can explain how their child will be fully supported under the proposed changes.”

The LAT begun sponsoring the school in March and says it has pumped £1.5m into the school, with another £1m earmarked for building and IT work improvements for this year.

The trust was being considered to take over Sherington Primary School last year before governors backtracked.