REDUNDANCY notices have been given to seven support staff at a Derby school which is more than £400,000 in the red.

Concerns have been expressed by the unions representing the staff at Sinfin Community School at the selection procedure used for the redundancies.

And union bosses have approached Derby City Council to express their worries about the funding situation at the school.

They have asked council officers to withdraw the delegated powers, which governors use to control staffing and finance.

It had been feared that as many as 16 jobs could have been lost – six of them among the teaching staff.

Head teacher Steve Monks confirmed the letters had been sent to the seven staff.

He said: "This followed the analysis of the skills audit by governors on Monday. No teachers are currently involved in redundancies following losses through natural means."

Mr Monks said he was aware that the unions had asked for delegated powers to be removed.

He said: "I understand that the request has been made by the unions, who seem to be blaming the governors and financial managers for the school's plight.

"The fundamental problem was caused by a reduction in pupil numbers from 1,040 in 2006 to 890 in 2009. That wasn't addressed by a consequent loss of staff to compensate."

Last year, the school was highlighted as one of 638 schools nationally in need of additional support to improve its GCSE results.

It is currently setting up a National Challenge Trust with Chellaston School to help raise standards and new governing body will be appointed in January.

The city council said that the removal of delegated powers had not been ruled out.

Councillor Les Allen, city council cabinet member for children and young people, said: "The deficit in the school's budget is substantial and has to be addressed.

"We are working closely with the school on the budget plan and to ensure it and processes in the school are sustainable."

A spokesman for the GMB union, which represents the school's support workers, said: "We have written to the head telling him of our concerns regarding the selection process surrounding the redundancy process.

"We don't believe it has been fair and I am due to meet with members to discuss this further."

The redundancies and budget deficit are the latest events in a turbulent few years for the Sinfin school.

A fire in 2006 led to it being rebuilt.

Meanwhile, an attempt by the city council to turn the school into an academy under the control of Derby College was thwarted earlier this year after several days of strike action by teaching unions.

In another school incident, not associated with the budget situation, several staff were temporarily suspended during the May half-term.

This followed a security breach in the school's information technology system.

Disciplinary procedures following that incident are still ongoing, said Mr Monks.