Concerns have been raised about the education of children whose parents are in the armed forces, after plans for extra school funding were scrapped.

Oxfordshire County Council has blamed a cash shortage.

Primary schools with army or air force bases in their catchment area suffer from a higher-than-average turnover of pupils, and the children are more likely to suffer from emotional problems while their parents are posted overseas, according to teachers and governors.

This leads to higher administrative costs and a need for additional learning assistants. The problems are less acute in secondary schools, where services pupils account for a much lower proportion of the school roll.

Schools in Essex benefit from a 'forces factor' in their funding and schools in Oxfordshire want similar treatment.

Linda Brown is headteacher of RAF Benson Primary School, where 35 per cent of pupils leave and 35 per cent join the school every year, and the average pupil stays only two years.

She said: "The children obviously suffer considerably more stress, because their fathers are away a great deal so they need more support with their learning.

"The LEA does provide a high turnover allowance, but it's consistently inadequate."

Benson Primary School calculates it would have received an extra £20,000 this year if the forces factor was included.

A council spokesman said: "The consequences of higher than average levels of pupil turnover are reflected in the formula used to distribute money to schools."

He said budget pressures and a wish to limit the council tax rise meant extra cash was not available.