A MONMOUTHSHIRE school has said its plan to reduce its deficit is on track, despite it increasing over recent months.

Council documents show Chepstow School’s deficit has increased by over £10,000 since November, rising from £388,687 to £399,926 despite Monmouthshire council approving a budget plan last year.

The school’s chairman of governors Craig Bridgeman insisted the plan was progressing – but that a couple of factors had set back progress on its plan to be out of deficit by the end of 2017.

Mr Bridgeman said: “Our deficit recovery is going well, it is on plan. It has been vetted by [Monmouthshire council’s] senior financial officer.”

The school had to pay “catch up” water charges, which had been previously estimated, and payments to two staff who had been made redundant. It is thought another nine staff were made redundant by the school since last March.

“It is always difficult knowing what’s forecast and coming ahead,” Mr Bridgeman added – but said he was optimistic the school’s financial position will improve quickly.

At a Monmouthshire council cabinet meeting yesterday, its finance manager for the children and young people’s department, Nikki Wellington, said 47 staff have been made redundant from its schools over the last financial year.

Of those, 14 were teachers and 27 filled non-teaching posts.

But it is thought there are no more planned redundancies at Chepstow School.

A Monmouthshire council spokeswoman said earlier this week of the school: “The local authority takes this situation very seriously and has challenged, supported and monitored the school very closely, providing the school with advice and time for recovery. The local authority continues to take its role very seriously.”

At the start of 2015/16 there were five Monmouthshire schools in deficit, including Chepstow. Three of those have seen their financial position worsen since then.

Mounton House Special School in Chepstow had a deficit of nearly £26,000 at the start of 2015/16. That has now increased to £142,391. As reported last week, its former head teacher Paul Absalom, who was suspended in the summer, will not return to the school.

The council said the increased deficit at the school was due to “significant staffing changes and a delay in grant funding”.

Llanvihangel Crucorney Primary School in Abergavenny also saw its deficit increase – but the council said this was because pupil numbers had risen and that had meant another teacher had to be employed.