James Kewin of the Sixth Form Colleges Association told BBC News that his members would be particularly badly affected.

BBC: Sixth-form funding dip 'could stymie' talent, Gove warned

The spokesman also said that the figures quoted by the Sixth Form Colleges Association were "misleading" as they related to funding for two different age groups.

BBC: Education & Family

"It makes little sense for the government to be actively promoting the establishment of new sixth-form providers that are not only demonstrably less efficient than sixth-form colleges, but also have little or no educational track record", said David Igoe, of the Sixth Form Colleges Association.

BBC: Education & Family