Southend’s academy schools face “profound difficulties” due to underfunding, according to one of the town’s leading headteachers.

Robin Bevan, headteacher of Southend High School for Boys, made the comments after academy accounts were studied by Southend Council’s Education Board on Tuesday.

It follows claims Southend schools remain underfunded by the Government’s new school funding formula.

Mr Bevan, who is a member of the board, said: “Our reserves are exceptionally low and I am concerned. I’ve been very clear with parents. These are things we think you should not hide. There are very profound difficulties for the lowest funded schools.”

The latest statement of funds as of August 2017 show the grammar school’s working capital ratio was “of concern” at below 2 per cent. Other schools in the report working on low capital included the Legra Academy Trust, made up of Belfairs, Cecil Jones and Darlinghurst schools, St Thomas More, Southend East Community Academy Trust, comprising six schools including Shoeburyness High School and the Parallel Learning Trust – Sutton House and Victory Park academies.

Mr Bevan added: “Our argument has been that every pupil, boy or girl, should have access to a broad curriculum and quality of teaching. They are not giving us enough money to do that.”

Fellow board members backed Mr Bevan.

Essex NUT general secretary Jerry Glazier said: “We’re sleep walking towards a crisis and we have been for a while. There are some worrying indicators here.”

The education board is made up of headteachers, governors and union officials from Southend academies and maintained schools.

Southend schools have come forward to take extra pupils, delaying a proposal by Southend Council to build a free school to meeting the needs of increasing numbers of pupils in the borough. However some headteachers believe this has added to the financial problems.

Lisa Clark, Hamstel Infants headteacher told the meeting schools’ expansion had put pressure on budgets in Southend.

She said: “You won’t gain anything by expanding. It hits the schools.”

Academy Trusts operate outside a Local Authority control. All academies are required to provide accounts and report to the Education Funding Agency.