Sussex schools are to be awarded hundreds of extra pounds for every pupil under a funding settlement announced yesterday - but headteachers are sceptical about the amount they will actually receive.

A 6.8 per cent rise in the Brighton and Hove's schools budget will give education finance chiefs £3,692 per pupil in 2006/7 - up from £3,457 in 2005/6.

The settlement follows Gordon Brown's Pre-Budget Report on Monday, when the Chancellor announced that local government grants in Sussex would rise by just two per cent next year.

This was the first time education funding was separated from local government funding and shows a national rise of 6.8 per cent in schools funding through the new ring-fenced Dedicated Schools Grant.

East Sussex will also get a 6.8 per cent rise to £3,598, up from £3,371.

West Sussex will get 6.7 per cent, just under the national average, taking its funding per pupil to £3,489, up from £3,269.

But Andy Schofield, headteacher of Varndean School in Brighton, said: "I will believe it when I see it.

The Government does have a history of setting funding agreements which don't appear. Brighton and Hove did extremely badly in the last two funding rounds so this is some recognition that schools have been under funded and is very welcome. Previous underfunding is putting schools like Varndean in a very serious financial position."

He said any additional money would be spent improving computer and technology facilities at the school as well as on outstanding building repairs.

Giovanni Fransche, head of Benfield Junior School in Portslade, said: "This is good news but I take it with a slight pinch of salt. I look forward to seeing the details and advice from the LEA."

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said: "The extra money for schools is clearly good news. But we will have to analyse the fine print of the funding settlement and work closely with the city's schools forum before making any decisions about how it will be spent."

Mark Dunn, the cabinet member for children's services at West Sussex County Council, said: "I am delighted we are getting more money for schools. We need it and will be making the most of it."

He said he would advise schools to spend the extra cash on early years provision, extended school services and pupil referral units to reduce the number of children excluded from school.

An East Sussex County Council spokeswoman said: "The increase in the schools budget is welcome and is significantly more than for other county council services. However, previous experience has shown us that headline figures can be misleading and it will now need to work through the detail to find out exactly what this announcement means for our budget."