Schools are bracing themselves for massive hikes to their energy bills - with one paying for insulation and a re-covered roof to cut costs.

Head teachers in Kent expect the price of heating their buildings to leap by as much as 400%, as they forecast having to tighten their belts this winter.

But at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar in Faversham, bosses say they have invested in insulation and re-covering the school’s roof.

The secondary’s head teacher, David Anderson, believes bills will rise by about £100,000.

“Obviously we can’t turn the heating off but we do have to be careful,” Mr Anderson continued.

“Every head teacher in the country is concerned about the increase in costs coming through as a result of the energy crisis.

“We are in a position where we have had to increase most of our budget streams by 150%.”

Mr Anderson says the grammar will focus on being “as sustainable as we can and to be sensible about our energy use”.

Spires Academy chief Anna Burden has also ruled out running a site “that requires somebody to be wearing many layers”, despite saying costs could rise by as much as 400%.

She stresses “you need to have an appropriate temperature in a room for learning”.

However, she admits the school may have to make cuts to offset the increases.

“We may have to look at that,” she said.

“We know we can’t just turn the heating off.

“We will have to be more smart about how we use the heating.

“So we’ll put it on in the morning, before the children get into school, to heat the building up and will be running the thermostat on 20C.”

This comes after ministers revealed last month a “government-supported price” for schools of £211 per megawatt hour for electricity and £75 for gas.

They say it will hand schools forking out £10,000 a month for energy a saving of £4,000.

“We cannot have cold classrooms. We’ll just need to find the money elsewhere...”

Before the package was unveiled, it was feared the price of electricity would rise to £600 per megawatt hour and about £180 for gas.

Reculver Primary School head teacher Jenny Ashley-Jones also says she may have to make cuts to manage the budget.

The building is in a particularly challenging situation as its heating and hot water runs on oil.

As a result it is not connected to the gas mains.

“There’s not as much money for other things and we’ll have to shave a bit off everything,” she added.

“We cannot have cold classrooms. We’ll just need to find the money elsewhere.”

St Anselm’s boss Mike Walters, who is also the chairman of the Kent Headteachers’ Association, believes small measures like turning off lights and limiting the use of heating will not be enough to curb soaring bills.

He warns this issue is only going to get worse as schools’ negotiated contracts come to an end.

This rise in costs, which are estimated to be about £100,000 for an average school, will have knock-on effects on the support offered to youngsters in class.

Asked whether he foresees schools requiring government bailouts, he said: “They will run out of cash. Schools will have to be supported in some way.”