“Last year David Blunkett made pound;35 million available for the new post-16 courses - about pound;205 per Year 12 student. That would have been more than pound;29,000 for my school.

“I am assured the appropriate amount was included in the block grant to the National Assembly for Wales.

A year ago I approached Monmouthshire education authority to secure funding for the sixth form. The local authority claimed to have no knowledge whatsoever of any funding for post-16 development.

“On buildings, David Blunkett announced a grant to all schools amounting to pound;60,000 for a school of our size. This mirror the pound;50,000 grant to us last year which found its way to us without let or hindrance.

“The Autumn Statement by the Chancellor indicated a sum of pound;40,000 to be made available to a school such as ours for building maintenance next year.

Altogether, my school should be able to look forward to pound;160,000 of additional funding for buildings maintenance, post-16 reform, technology and anti-bureaucracy action.

“I am assured that all this money is in the block grant to the Assembly. It would mean around pound;125 for each of our pupils. How much of it will they see? How much will disappear into the black holes of the Assembly’s block grant and the local authority?

“We constantly feel we are being defrauded and cheated.”