Nearly half of Cheshire East's 49 maintained schools were in deficit at the end of this financial year.

Finance officer Diane Green told the children's overview and scrutiny committee on Monday (July 20): "We've got 49 maintained schools in Cheshire East and at the end of March, there was a reported consolidated surplus of £2.698 million.

"However, we have 23 schools that were in net deficit.

"To support the schools in deficit, the council will continue to use the DfE (Department for Education) school resource management advisers, which provide sector-led peer-to-peer advice."

She said 10 schools had already been included in this process in 2025/26, with follow-up visits in 2026/27, and a further 12 schools are expected to join that program.

Cllr Stewart Gardiner (Knutsford, Conservative), asked for a follow-up report to go back to the scrutiny committee.

"We need to know why are those schools in deficit, whether or not it's a geography thing, because obviously is it small schools in rural areas with insufficient children?

"All of those things need to be assessed by us if we're going to scrutinise this detail fully," he said.

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Director of education Helen Wallace said: "At the moment, we're working with those schools where we have the most concern, if you like, in terms of deficit budgets and building a team around the school approach…

"In September we've got eight schools that we'll be planning those team around the school meetings in, and then there's the next six schools after that, and then we have already highlighted those schools where it looks as though they could be heading in that direction."

She added officers were planning for the new school year, 'so that we're more proactive, but also reactive to those that we know we've already got quite a few concerns about'.

It was agreed an updated report on the schools will be provided to the committee at its December meeting.