Head teachers in at least seven English councils say they will not have enough money to pay for existing staff, according to the Times Educational Supplement (TES).

Other authorities say they will avoid job cuts by increasing the council tax or cutting other services.

Education spending typically accounts for about 70% of a council's budget.

Worst-hit areas

The TES surveyed 43 local education authorities. It says head teachers in Plymouth are warning that the jobs of 100 teachers and 200 classroom assistants will be cut.

Southern England appears to be the worst-hit area, with losses predicted in Leicestershire, Essex, Bracknell Forest and the London Borough of Bromley.

In West Sussex, the council has written to schools and parents, telling them schools are facing a cut equivalent to �40 per pupil, despite an 18.5% increase in council tax.

It hopes to avoid redundancies.

Some councils have complained that the government is not properly funding its education programmes.

They say the education secretary has forced through cash settlements to schools without the grants to back them up, leaving the council tax payer to fill the gap.

But that is strongly denied by the government.

A spokesman for the Department for Education and Skills said local education authorities had been guaranteed a minimum increase of 3.2% per pupil.

"We are pressing authorities to pass on increases in school funding. The vast majority have done so."