AN OLDBURY primary school with two headteachers and debts of nearly £300,000 has applied for a bailout from Sandwell Council.

Rounds Green Primary is asking the local authority’s Schools Forum for £125,000 to overcome its funding crisis.

The bid for a cash life-line comes after it reported an estimated £298,000 deficit in April.

The 438-pupil school in Brades Road has been forced to shed eight members of staff but is still in need of financial support as it struggles to improve its standards after being put in special measures by Ofsted.

The education watchdog has since upgraded its performance but still says it ‘requires improvement.’

The primary is also hampered by having 18 pupils above its official capacity of 420 students and at present is paying for two head teachers, after an interim principal was appointed as part of an improvement plan. 

In a report to councillors asking for a licensed deficit agreement which will allow it to set a balanced budget over three years, the school has said: “When looking at our increasing budget deficit, it would be easy to assume that this has been caused by financial mismanagement; although this is not the case.

“(The) school has taken action to reduce expenditure that is within its control, whilst doing this at a rate that has been appropriate to not de-stabilise and further compromise a school that has been in significant difficulty. The main cause of school being in deficit is not in the control of the interim headteacher.”

The application for a bailout comes as schools across the borough say they face massive overspends of over £18 million by 2022.

Councillors will consider the application at their meeting today (Monday, June 17)