Sutton's primary and secondary schools look set to benefit from a package of funding worth an estimated £4.5million announced by the Government last week.

But the move has sparked concern among headteachers who believe too many strings will be attached to the cash.

The announcement means secondary schools are likely to receive up to £165,000 while primary schools will be topped up to £50,000.

The extra funding was announced by Chancellor Gordon Brown in his Spending Review unveiled on Monday in which he pledged a £12.8 billion increase in spending on education by 2006.

Headteachers' fears were confirmed after education secretary Estelle Morris this week told staff at schools to expect a "radical change" in the way they do their jobs.

Ms Morris said the money, which will be allocated under the Schools Standard Grant, could be used at the headteachers' discretion but was conditional on reform of the way schools work.

She added that more specific proposals relating to education reform would be announced later in the year.

Denise Birkett, headteacher of Camden Junior in Camden Road, Carshalton, said: "Of course we welcome the extra money being given to us but there's been no real clarification as to what strings will be attached to it. So I am a little cautious about it.

"And since the financial year has already been organised it's hard to predict what effect the money will have - these type of announcements always seem to come at the end of term."

Headteacher John Fuller of Greenshaw High School in Sutton also said he welcomed the move but expected conditions to be attached to the extra resources.

"There needs to be some public accountability as to how it is used, which we expect, so long as bureaucracy doesn't interfere too much with how we do our job.

"The money is encouraging though and could mean extra teaching or support staff or the ability to buy further modern resources for the school."

But headteacher Richard Jewell of Green Lane Primary School in Worcester Park said he was not cautious about receiving the increased grant.

He said: "It's a positive move and the message we're getting is that the government recognises the workload and is trying to release teachers by having more teaching assistant hours.

"Any extra money we have will certainly increase the hours our teaching assistants work.

"This grant will also enable us to put money back into other areas where we have had to make cutbacks - we have been buying less books."