More than 100 head teachers from across Kent are expected to march on Downing Street today to highlight slashed school budgets.

Alan Brookes, who runs the 1,355-pupil Fulston Manor School in Sittingbourne and chairs the Kent Association of Head Teachers, is part of a deputation of 1,000 heads from across England who are planning to hand in a protest letter to Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond at noon.

He represents 600 Kent schools and believes 100 colleagues will be joining him in London.

He said: "This is the first protest of its kind I have attended in 40 years. It takes a lot to get head teachers angry but we've had enough.

"The Department for Education is very good at spouting numbers but they are simply not true.

"In real terms, our budgets have been slashed by 8% since 2010 which is threatening our ability to offer a full curriculum and to recruit enough teachers.

"At the same time, there are now 500,000 more pupils and we are also having to pay increased national insurance and pension contributions to our staff.

"All this is eating away at our budgets.

"We are required to set a three-year budget but we never know what is coming down the track.

"It was difficult to get specialist teachers in subjects like maths and science but now the problem is across the board.

"There is a significant shortfall in money for our most vulnerable pupils at a time when social services are being cut elsewhere and schools are being left to take up the slack" - Alan Brookes

"I am having to ask my staff to do more and work harder. Some are now doing the equivalent of two jobs in school.

"One head of a primary school told me he was having to be head, office administrator and caretaker because he couldn't afford to fill the roles.

"There is also a significant shortfall in money for our most vulnerable pupils at a time when social services are being cut elsewhere and schools are being left to take up the slack.

"We have been speaking to the Treasury and Department for Education but our requests have largely been ignored."

The march on Downing Street is part of the teachers Worth Less? campaign to raise awareness of the cash crisis now hitting schools in England.

Mr Brookes said: "We are fundamentally hamstrung by an overall lack of funding and a chronic shortage of teachers and support staff.

"Despite a newly introduced National Funding Formula, the Treasury and Department for Education have failed to meaningfully address these two crucial issues.

"We are under real pressure. The government suggests we can save money by switching utility contracts but doesn't it realise we are already doing that?

"I am also having to rent out classrooms to make extra money.

"This is not a political protest but we want people to be aware of what is happening."

In July the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies confirmed that since 2010, school budgets had been slashed by 8% in real terms.

In August the independent Education Policy Institute stated schools in many parts of England face a severe “shortage of teachers.”

The heads are demanding that the government supports schools, families and children by:

• Funding all schools "adequately" and reversing the real-terms cuts

• Injecting £400 million to support Special Educational Needs

• Improve pupil funding for those 16 and over