HEADTEACHERS and education bosses have hit back after it was revealed Worcestershire schools were sitting on £13 million of unspent reserves.

On Monday, we reported how some schools had carried over large amounts of money from the financial year 2004/5 - in some cases more than £300,000.

Worcestershire County Council admitted it had questioned 43 headteachers about their cash reserves, and Worcester MP Mike Foster voiced concerns that schools were not spending money on current pupils - but stockpiling cash for future use.

But Councillor Liz Eyre, Worcestershire's cabinet member for children's services, said there were good reasons for schools carrying over reserve balances, such as prudent planning for variable pupil numbers and specific projects.

"We are not talking here about an accidental carry-forward. Unlike you and I, schools do not have credit cards, they must save and spend," she said.

She said school balances were falling year-on-year because the county council monitored them and that it also checked they were for allocated projects.

The F40 group - made up of the poorest funded education regions in England (Worcestershire is a member) had also requested that schools' balances were well managed.

Coun Eyre said the council had been given a top score for use of resources and its children services department had gained a top score for performance.

"We do well to manage these balances," she said.

Allan Foulds, headteacher at Droitwich Spa High School, which carried over £479,540, said the figure was an inaccurate representation.

He said the figure did not take into account that the school was a specialist sports college which leads a large sports co-ordinator partnership across the Droitwich pyramid and many Worcester schools.

He also said funds came from the county as late as February and March and so could not feature in planned expenditure, and the sum did not include the amount already committed to be spent. "Worcester-shire schools remain grossly underfunded with the per-pupil allocation remaining at 142nd out of 149 local council areas. Schools are strapped for cash and not hoarding money," said Mr Foulds.

Fairer funding campaigner Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff said there were still unanswered questions about funding.

"What about the fact schools in low-funded areas have to save over several years to fund large projects, as they can't afford to dip into a single year's budget in one go?," he said.

"What about the fact that although 25 schools have so-called large reserves there are another 275 that don't? What about the fact the funding gap has trebled over the last 10 years?"