INCREASING numbers of Wiltshire schools are running at a deficit, which could trigger an investigation by the Department for Education.

Grant Davis, Wiltshire Council’s school strategic financial support manager, said: “It seems that those schools in surplus get richer and those in deficit are getting in a worse situation."

This year 19 schools are running at a combined loss of £3.242m, an increase of two schools over last year. Of these schools, 15 are expected to end the year in the red, while four predict that they will be out of a deficit by then. The number of schools in deficit means the county could be investigated by the Department of Education, which is asking authorities to provide extra information on schools with significant deficits. Across the county, 78 school have a surplus of greater than £10k.

Chair Neil Baker said: “Some of the schools in surplus have poor performance but have £90k that has not been committed to any spending. Some schools might have extra money but it will be spent on new ipads or technology for the school so it is committed. If a school has poor performance but high revenue we have to ask, what are they doing?”