Cash promises to schools from the Government's new Budget are a sham, according to teachers in Hertfordshire.

On april 17, Chancellor Gordon Brown pledged £114,000 for every secondary school to spend on priority improvements and £39,300 for primary schools.

However, Roundwood School headteacher Andrew Cunningham claims the figures are misleading.

He said: "These are the average figures that the Government is saying it will provide to schools.

"The secondary school amount compares with a current figure of £98,000, so it is not a huge increase, and I understand most of it is not even new money.

"I am quite cynical about that."

Furthermore, the budget may even leave his school worse off.

Mr Cunningham added: "What worries me more is the increase in employers' contributions to national insurance.

"For my small school, the increase will amount to the sum we would have to pay for a full-time teacher.

"Unless they are going to give me extra funding to pay for it, I may have to lose a teacher. I am quite sceptical about this."

The amount of money allocated to schools is insufficient, according to Hertfordshire National Union of Teachers secretary John Berry.

He said: "Not to look a gift horse in the mouth it is very welcome but this is not a huge amount in light of what work is needing to be done.

"We are waiting to see what sort of productivity will be expected from us in return. Funding does not come without strings attached.

"The money needs to be used to recruit and retain qualified staff. In Hertfordshire, we are at least 300 teachers short and unless this problem is addressed, all other reforms will fall by the wayside."

The Department for Education and Skills greeted the announcement with guarded optimism.

A spokesman said: "The department welcomes the money through the Budget which will no doubt have a good impact on schools throughout the UK.

"However the money has not been allocated yet, so we do not know exactly how much and where it will go."

St Albans MP Kerry Pollard said he was pleased that extra money would be put into education and hoped it could be put towards getting extra staff, buying computers and meeting other needs in schools.

Mr Brown also promised "a significant rise" in school budgets after a spending review in the summer.