Sports college status and cash threatened

Specialist sports college Failsworth School will be stripped of its status and extra cash in tomorrow’s spending review, Labour claims.

According to the Opposition party, the school will lose its specialist status and the annual ring-fenced funding of £129 per pupil when the Chancellor unveils £83 billion of cuts to tackle the country’s debt.

Instead the money will revert to the central schools budget and be redistributed among all secondary schools, it is claimed. The school is among 400 expected to be hit.

Labour also claims the commitment to guarantee five hours a week of PE and sport to young people will be scrapped and the new Coalition government will revert to a mandatory two hours.

Shadow Culture Minister Ian Austin said: “While British athletes were in Delhi last week winning medals for Britain and inspiring youngsters to take part in sport, David Cameron’s coalition was drawing up plans to slash the support for the next generation of sporting stars.

“Parents and coaches across the country will be appalled to see the damage David Cameron is about to do to youth sport.

“The programmes they are about to destroy aren’t just about success on the pitch, in the pool or the gym or on the track, because youth sport is also the best way of keeping youngsters fit, healthy and out of trouble.

“David Cameron might not value sport, but parents know it teaches children crucial lessons about discipline, teamwork and how to compete in the right spirit, that hard work and training bring results.”

A Department for Education spokesman said: “We are not commenting on speculation ahead of the spending review.”