THE council has turned down a request from headteachers to delay an equal pay project in order to avert a feared schools cash crisis.

The authority is launching phase two of single status, a government requirement to tackle inequalities in public sector pay.

Schools have been invited to run up a deficit budget to backdate pay rises and compensation to support staff.

But headteachers say the authority has not revealed the full financial implications of the move and warn schools may fail Ofsted inspections if they go into the red.

The Waltham Forest Primary Headteachers Association (WFPHA) has called for the process to be delayed for a year, but the council has ruled any such move out, saying it is a national agreement and would be "thoroughly unfair" to staff members.

Cllr Liaquat Ali, the council's new cabinet member for children, said: "While it's only right that there should be greater equality for employees we recognise that in accomplishing this there will be challenges along the way.

"We have been talking to schools about this for over a year and while we will be helping them every step of the way we must also respect the fact that they are ultimately responsible for managing their own budgets."

Headteachers are also angry at what they see as a delay in the process since 2007, although the council insists the authority's plans are "well advanced" compared to some other authorities.

A spokesman said the authority initially wanted to create one overall single status programme, but has had to implement it in phases because of a lack of agreement from trade unions.

WFPHA is also concerned that schools are having to foot the bill for bonuses paid to non-education council staff in the past, and fear there may have to be redundancies.