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A thousand head teachers today took their protest over school cuts to Downing Street.

With banners saying ‘fund state education properly’ and ‘Head teachers say there is nothing left to cut’ they brought traffic to a temporary standstill in Parliament Square.

Unlike many protests in the square the leaders were dressed for business - in suits and ties.

Mr Rob Kelsall of the campaign group Worth Less?, which organised the march, said: “We are seeing schools that are seeing their funds depleted, dipping into their reserves, and having to send out begging letters to parents.

"This is not through choice, this is because there is no alternative.”

Scroll down for what teachers themselves say about the crisis.

(Image: PA)

In July, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said total school spending per pupil fell around 8% in real terms in England between 2009/10 and 2017/18. In response, the Government said it was spending record amounts on schools.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of 29,000-strong school leaders’ union NAHT, said schools were at “breaking point” and almost three-quarters of heads say they will be unable to balance their budgets for next year.

The protest is being organised by grassroot groups and not unions, but Mr Whiteman said: "Head teachers are not normally the marching kind. So, when they do, it must be serious.

“They’re sick of being told that there’s more money in education than ever before, when what they see with their own eyes every day proves that it’s just not enough.

“More and more now, children succeed despite the system, not because of it. And that can’t be right.”

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Organisers estimate more than 1,500 had turned out, and burst into applause as they lined up on Whitehall when they were told the letter had been delivered in Downing Street.

Police estimate 2,000 people took part.

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: "There is more money going into schools than ever before, rising to a record £43.5 billion by 2020 – 50% more in real terms per pupil than in 2000.

"The OECD has recently confirmed that the UK is the third highest spender on education in the world, spending more per pupil than countries including Germany, Australia and Japan.

“Every school attracts more funding per pupil through the National Funding Formula, high needs funding has risen to over £6 billion this year and the 3.5% pay rise we announced for classroom teachers on the main pay range is backed by £508 million government funding."

What head teachers told us about the schools crisis

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Elaine Ball, 52, from Orleans Park School in Twickenham said:

“Teachers are being asked to do so much more with so much less.

“We now have to put money into frontline care, my school has to fund a mental health worker and an educational psychologist to come in once a week - that’s on top of everything else

“Things are so bad we’ve had to ask parents for money to fund a new food and nutrition classroom, a second-hand minibus and an updated IT suite.”

Susan Pietrzak, 44, from Manor Field Infant School in Basingstoke said:

“The only way we’re going to balance the books is by losing really great teachers and teaching assistants.

“We’re not a radical bunch. We’re not asking for more than any of the other services. We just want fair funding.”

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Katherine Warren, 49, from Kea Schools in Trurow, Cornwall, said:

“The amount it takes to run a school is more and more. We’re spending more money on resources such as special needs, professional agencies, educational psychologists - services we didn’t previously pay for.

“I don’t know any school that at the very least hasn’t had to reduce hours of staff. It makes it so hard to meet the needs of the children

“There’s such pressure to have a lovely, broad balanced curriculum and that’s what we hope to do. We don’t want the children to go out just being able to do English and Maths, we want them to leave as rounded human beings.”

Cathy Rowland, 54, from Dobcroft Infant School in Sheffield, said:

“Headteachers are a mild mannered bunch.

“We understand austerity and we’ve made the easier cuts but now when we look ahead the only cuts we’ve got left will seriously damage the education of children.

“I know of schools in Sheffield that have had to reduce their curriculum choices for children, I know of schools that have increased their class sizes, a lot of us have cut teaching hours.

“Our library is still flooded from rain last week.

“When you go into education, you don’t expect to end up worrying about whether you’ve got enough buckets in case it rains.”

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Sean Maher, from Richard Challener School in Kingston, said:

“In these situations, it’s always the most vulnerable children that get hurt the most

“I’ve never been on a protest for anything in my life but I’m here because unless something is done our children are going to suffer.

“The people in power keep saying there’s more money in the system. They’re not admitting there’s a problem.

“We’re not being unreasonable. This is probably the best dressed and most polite parade to ever march to Downing Street.

“We’re just desperate to help the children we were asked to serve.”

Anthony White, 48, from Pound Hill Junior School in Crawley, West Sussex, said:

“A whole generation is losing out and that generation is the future

“This isn’t just about children’s leaning, it’s about their mental health, their wellbeing and that’s what is being affected.

“You won’t see the effect of that today but over the next weeks, months, years, we will all see the impact.”

Marijke Miles, 43, from Bay Croft School in Gospel, Hampshire said:

“Headteachers are normally really pragmatic and quiet but after eight years of continuing cuts, we had to come out and campaign for our students.

“I’ve never done anything like this before but my families and my students need me to be their voice today.”