SIR – Coun John Hall’s claims regarding his Coalition Government’s treatment of our schools (Letters, October 31) do not bear scrutiny.

He trumpets the Pupil Premium as evidence that schools budgets are growing.

If only. Our schools’ capital budgets have been cut by 80 per cent, or £5.52 million. The failure of Government to allow for inflation means a further real terms reduction of £3.45 million across the district’s school budgets. £1.17 million of cuts have been made to grants, of which £740,000 went directly to schools, another £320,000 cut will hit schools, including special needs provision in sixth forms.

This more than cancels out any gains from the Pupil Premium, and that’s before accounting for cuts to other grants, such as those for training schools and sports co-ordinators.

Nor do the figures account for the axing of the schools refurbishment programme and Coun Hall’s colleague MP David Ward has confessed that the Government’s support for school places in Bradford is woefully inadequate.

These reductions come ahead of an anticipated £2.7 million reduction in local Secondary School funding in 2014/15.

The National Audit Office says many schools are struggling to balance their books. This is the reality of your government’s approach, Councillor Hall.

Councillor Vanda Greenwood (Labour, Windhill & Wrose), City Hall