Teachers are disappointed school budgets will have to be plundered to pay for their pay rise instead of the Government picking up the bill.

They were recently awarded a 3.7 per cent rise, with newly qualified teachers receiving a six per cent increase.

As Oxfordshire County Council only budgeted for a three per cent rise, it will take the extra cash for experienced teachers from money earmarked for schools and leave governors to pay the extra 2.3 per cent for recently qualified staff.

Unions and teachers blame the Government for failing to provide the county council with enough money from central funds.

Alan Lane, head of Cheney School, and chairman of the finance committee for Oxfordshire Secondary Head Teachers' Association, said he felt the local authority had been placed in a difficult position because it was led to believe that three per cent would be sufficient to cover the pay rises and had also received a disappointing Government settlement.