A CANVEY school is costing taxpayers almost £3,000 a year more per pupil than the next most costly secondary in Essex, new figures show.

The costs, released by the Department of Education, show the Government spent £12,251 on each pupil at Furtherwick Park secondary school between September 2009 and July 2010.

The next most expensive – Alderman Blaxill School, Colchester – costs £9,539 per child.

The Furtherwick Park School is set to close in September and headteacher John Houghton has defended the extra costs, saying they were essential to ensure the few remaining pupils got the best possible education.

There were just two year groups at the secondary last year –Year 10 and 11 – which equated to about 160 pupils.

Mr Houghton said: “Special measures need to be taken because the school is in the process of closing. It would be very easy for members of staff to opt to leave because of this. If I have to spend extra money on keeping good quality staff or bringing in good quality supply teachers, then I will do so, for the sake of the pupils who are still here.”

The Department for Education figures showed the school spent £1,417 per pupil on supply teachers – three times more than any other school in the county.

It also spent double what any other secondary spent on education support staff, £1,344 per pupil, and double on learning resources, £806 per pupil.

Mr Houghton added: “If I find a supply teacher who is doing a good job, then I will spend more to make sure we keep him.

“We have a very good relationship with Essex County Council and the authority approved our budget.”

Furtherwick Park is set to close as part of a reorganisation of education on the island to deal with falling admission numbers.

The changes will see Castle View School move from Meppel Avenue to a new £28million school on the site of Furtherwick Park School, in Furtherwick Road.

Mr Houghton said the extra money had already reaped rewards after the 71 per cent of the Year 11s who took their English GCSE early this year, achieved A* to C grades.

He added: “Results like these show we are absolutely right to be spending extra money in the interests of the children’s education.”