IT IS worrying for everyone when financial troubles hit, even more so when it is an academic institution.

Whether you are a parent, student, staff member or councillor, the worries of schools the size of those in the Ridings Federation potentially being £1 million short has a widespread affect.

While offering considerable advantages in terms of freedom from the pressures of local government, the drawbacks of the academy are apparent in their need to adapt as a business and finance themselves.

In converting to an academy, these schools would have numerous options for funding, and the first few years can be quite lucrative, but as the name tag becomes less new, the belt has to be tightened somewhere.

While the Ridings Federation have yet to reveal whether such drastic action as reductions in staff are a necessary step, no doubt there will be worry among the masses about how the school can correct such a worryingly large shortfall.

As two of the biggest secondary schools in the area, the main aim is to restore confidence in the parents, both to those with students at the school who could see alterations in their education, and those hoping to enrol in the future.