Struggling schools at the heart of their communities are to face “tough decisions” over funding, education leaders in Yorkshire have warned, amid claims over £4.5bn in real-terms cuts.

The School Cuts campaign, in findings this week, claims England’s schools have hit “rock bottom” after 16 years of underfunding.

The body, backed by a coalition of unions, argues 92 per cent of secondary schools are worse off than they were in 2010.

Now education leaders in Yorkshire, from the Calderdale Against School Cuts (CASC) campaign group, have warned over the impact on the region’s settings.

Sue McMahon, a former headteacher in the district, said: “The current funding levels do not address historic underfunding.

“They merely contribute to more staff leaving the profession and thus not enabling children’s progress.

“We will be seeing schools at the heart of our communities facing tough decisions, those most at risk will slip through the gap.”

This week’s findings, released by School Cuts, have prompted calls to the Prime Minister to act on a “desperate legacy”.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said it was a “national scandal” that a generation of children have only known cuts.

And Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and himself a former Yorkshire headteacher, said politicians must match ambitions with resources.

“Senior leaders and their staff are left having to make impossible decisions on where to make the next round of cutbacks,” he said.

“They are on their knees trying to do ever more with ever less.”

And Ms McMahon, in Calderdale, said schools have faced many financial hits while cost pressures have mounted.

Inflation, rising food and fuel prices, a partially-funded pay award, pensions and national insurance increases are all having an impact.

“Poverty in communities is placing further pressure on families who are trapped in hardship,” she added.

“Schools are having to make a significant contribution to provide essential services to meet the gaps in health and care needs; supporting families who are struggling with mental health, or the basics of daily life.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Education (DfE), responding to calls nationally, said it has continued to prioritise education despite “deeply challenging choices about public spending”.

“We are investing an extra £2.3 billion in schools in 2026-27 – including funding to help schools deliver higher standards and better opportunities for children and young people in every part of the country, and additional funding to support schools to hire and keep great teachers.”