The government would struggle to cut overall education spending without taking the axe to school budgets, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned, prompting renewed calls for greater investment from the Treasury. A new report from the found that if the Department for Education鈥檚 budget is cut in line with other 鈥渦nprotected鈥� areas of government spending, it faces a cut of 拢2.6 billion, or a 3 per cent real-terms drop. Government departments have been expected to find savings as part of the ongoing spending review, which concludes in June. If they wanted to make that cut without affecting schools and the 16 to 19 budget – something they have traditionally opted-for – ministers would have to slash 鈥渕ore than 20 per cent鈥� from other spending areas, such as adult education, apprenticeships and higher education support, the IFS warned. Government could save 3 per cent, or 拢2 billion, from the schools budget buy freezing spending per-pupil in real-terms between 2025 and 2028 as pupil numbers start to fall. A population bulge is currently making its way through the secondary phase. Doing this would leave spending per-pupil 鈥渁t a similar level to 2010鈥�. But schools already face huge pressures, as funding increases in recent years have not kept pace with rising costs. And pressures on high needs budgets are due to rise by over 拢2 billion over that same three-year period, making it 鈥渉arder to cut school budgets over the next few years鈥�. ‘Difficult choices’ Luke Sibieta, a research fellow at the IFS and co-author of the report, said June鈥檚 spending review 鈥渨ill involve some difficult choices on education spending. 鈥淭here is pressure to protect school and college funding. School budgets have been squeezed by rising costs, particularly special educational needs provision.鈥� Protecting school and college funding 鈥渕ight mean cuts of more than 20 per cent to spending on skills, apprenticeships and higher education support. 鈥淎voiding cuts to the education budget altogether would require deeper cuts to other public service spending, tax rises or extra borrowing.鈥� Paul Whiteman, general secretary of leaders鈥� union NAHT, said schools 鈥渟imply don鈥檛 have any leeway for further cuts 鈥� and a lack of fresh investment is a cut. 鈥淲e desperately need to see new money and sustained investment from the Treasury.鈥� Julia Harnden, funding specialist at leaders鈥� union ASCL, added the IFS analysis 鈥渨ill make harrowing reading for school and college leaders already faced with intense pressures on their budgets. 鈥淚f education spending is cut 鈥� however that is done 鈥� it will represent a new period of austerity which neither young people nor the country as a whole can afford.鈥�