The £370 million transformation of dozens of schools across Wolverhampton was today facing being scaled down in the light of government cuts.

Councils across the country have been told that 40 per cent “efficiencies” are being sought from 600 schools included in the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. Wolverhampton is the only authority in the Black Country to have got its BSF scheme through to an advanced enough stage to get the green light and continue works.

But Wolverhampton City Council cabinet member for children and young people, Councillor Christine Mills, today admitted that the city’s projects could be hit in light of the latest announcement.

Tim Byles, chief executive of Partnerships for Schools, in charge of delivering the BSF programme, has told councils that 40 per cent efficiencies were to be sought from the 600 schools confirmed as safe in Gove’s initial statement to parliament.

Each authority’s reduction is expected to be confirmed by next month, with meetings between councils and Partnerships for Schools taking place this week.

Councillor Mills said today: “We are still looking into this. We may face cuts. Yes, there is a possibility.”

Sandwell lost out on £138m of BSF funding, with improvement projects at nine schools scrapped as part of the government’s national programme of cuts.

The decision by Education Secretary Michael Gove made Sandwell’s deputy Tory leader Councillor Elaine Costigan defect to Labour.

More than £2m was spent on the failed makeover of six secondary schools in Walsall.

In Wolverhampton, work is already under way at The King’s School, in Tettenhall, and Highfields, in Penn. The BSF programme will be delivered in five phases, with Bilston Academy, Wednesfield High, Braybrook and Coppice Performing Arts schools all in the first phase.

By Laura Blyth