A “bucket-load” of cash would be needed to avoid a deficit in the budget for special educational needs, a top Bromley councillor has said.

It comes as the council presses the government for a “fairer funding” deal for Bromley’s schools.

Last week, Bromley secondary headteachers banded together to write home about funding issues facing the borough’s schools.

Giving an update on a recent meeting with Nick Gibb, Minister of State at the Department for Education, cabinet member for education Peter Fortune said: “It was a very positive meeting.

“We brought up the issue of how we fund the high needs block, which I am on record as saying is a real pressure we face. The minister was receptive to our delegation and we will continue to lobby for fairer funding for our pupils.”

Labour councillors wanted to know whether there was a way the council could avoid problems faced in November.

Bromley, like much the rest of the country, is experiencing huge demand on services supporting school kids with special educational needs.

Peter Fortune said: “The situation in November was around the deficit in the high needs block. There will still be a deficit in that block unless it is met.

“Partly by highlighting the issue around funding and working with the schools forum to find a way through, that is the only way we are going to find the appropriate funding.

“You want to know how we can avoid what happened last year – unless we get a bucket-load of cash to the tune of £3m we are going to have conversations about how we go forward this year.

“We will keep lobbying and banging the drum for the borough, we will push to get the appropriate funding for the borough.”

More than a dozen secondary heads sent the letter home last week outlining worries over a lack of investment, budget cuts and classroom sizes.

According to the letter, heads “felt it necessary to demonstrate that these issues are not unique to any one school”.

In a series of bullet points, the school leaders outlined 10 issues that are currently causing concern.

Heads said they are struggling to find and keep teachers willing to put up with the workload, and that there is a growing need for schools to provide emotional support for kids without the right resources.

Investment in school buildings is lacking, larger class sizes are impacting what schools can offer, and there is a general uncertainty over funding in the future.