EDUCATION chief Ken Davis has pledged to pass on "every penny" of an extra £800,000 Government handout to schools.

The council's education department is being criticised by headteachers and opposition councillors for not putting enough cash in the education budget.

There were fears of redundancies and cuts to services after the Government slashed several grants this year.

Recruitment and retention schemes, as well as teacher-training and development programmes, were under threat with the withdrawal of the Standards Funds grants.

But last week Mr Davis said he was "delighted" when Schools' Minister David Milliband announced a further £815,000 for Bromley after the authority complained.

Mr Davis said: "In total we lost about £3.5m, about 30 per cent of our funding, as part of a redistribution to other areas.

"Every penny of this new grant will go to schools.

"We need to work out which school gets what."

Headteachers have been invited to a meeting with Mr Davis, council leader Councillor Michael Tickner and cabinet education member Councillor Brian Humphrys tomorrow.

A report is hastily being drawn up for the next children and young persons' portfolio meeting on April 8.

Councillor John Getgood, education spokesman for the Labour group, said: "The Government is helping Bromley out but education is being chronically underfunded by the

local Tories."