The effects of an education funding crisis hitting schools is leading to cuts - and the threat of potential job losses in Cumbrian classrooms.

One secondary school has confirmed this week that it must find ways to reduce staff costs ahead of an expected cut to funding due in September.

Meanwhile, parents of a large Carlisle primary school have been told further cuts may threaten core teaching despite the best efforts of senior leaders to cope with increasing financial pressures.

One county union leader believes there has been "an awakening" across Cumbria when it comes to understanding the squeeze on school budgets.

Headteachers in the county warned earlier this month that staff were fearing for their jobs.

Staff at Caldew School, Dalston, are the latest to be asked what savings can be made.

Vicki Jackson, headteacher, said: "Like all other schools we are facing financial pressures and a real term cut in funding.

"The Government has abolished the Education Service Grant (ESG) from school funding from September 2017, which for Caldew School means a significant reduction in our funding.

"This is in addition to the Government increasing employee costs and awarding pay rises for staff which are unfunded.

"This is putting a significant strain on the finance for all schools both locally and nationally.

"Due to this we are looking at our options.

"We have consulted with our staff to find ways to reduce surplus staffing.

"All steps are being taken to make sure this does not impact on our curriculum or the education of our students."

Sue Blair, head of Pennine Way School in Carlisle, and the primary's chair of governors, Kenneth Boom, say they have already had to take a number of financial hits - but can't guarantee they can protect core teaching in future.

They say the school has been unable to maintain its small class sizes, not been able to take on new staff when vacancies arise, had to cut teacher assistant support and reduce the intervention to help pupils fill gaps in their knowledge.

It is predicted that the Harraby primary school could lose more than £58,000 within four years.

Mrs Blair and Mr Boom, in a letter to parents, said: "The school works hard to ensure that cuts have the least amount of impact on teaching as possible.

"However, rising costs and a static budget mean that many tough decisions have had to have been made.

"In the future, we cannot guarantee that such cuts will not impact on core teaching, despite doing our utmost to prevent this.

"Please be assured that the school will take the utmost care with budgets, to ensure all the money we have is spent effectively on your children."

The latest developments come after the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) brought a national campaign - headed up by six education unions - to Cumbria.

The School Cuts campaign forecasts that Cumbria could lose more than £23m by 2020 - approximately £343 per pupil or the equivalent of 625 teachers.

The National Audit Office (NAO), last December, said £3bn of savings must be found by schools by 2020 against a backdrop of growing pupil numbers and a real-term reduction in funding per pupil.

The NAO said the Department for Education (DfE) expects £1.3bn can be made by improved procurement from schools and a further £1.7bn through staff.

Cumbrian MP Tim Farron is seeking a parliamentary debate on the issue and has written to Education Secretary Justine Greening.

Brampton headteacher Chris McAree is a north west council representative with the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL).

He said: "Schools across the country are all seeing their finances squeezed.

"Over the last few years unfunded pay rises, changes to National Insurance and pension contributions for employers have all had significant impacts on the flat cash per student funding we receive.

"With the abolition of the Education Services Grant from September, many schools are having to look again at staffing levels as they have made savings elsewhere over the last few years.

"There is only so much that can be trimmed from other budgets."

He added: "The DfE will always argue that funding for education is rising, but it is not per student – in real terms this is falling.

"The total amount is going up but only as there are more children in the system."

Graham Frost, secretary of the NAHT in Cumbria, said: "It is an awakening in Cumbria at the moment that there is something on the horizon."

The DfE is currently consulting on a new funding formula for schools.

It has said Cumbria's schools funding total could increase by more than £4m should the new formula be accepted - and see more than £319m spent on education in the county.