Subjects including art, drama and design technology are in danger of being withdrawn in many state school schools due to financial constraints.
The Observer reports that headteachers are being forced into cutting expensive and less popular lessons to address crippling deficits.
With the vast majority of English state schools expected to be in the red by the next school year, thousands of schools are planning to make teachers and teaching assistants redundant or cut their hours, it said.
In addition, unions and headteachers say schools may be forced to scrap courses that have smaller uptake, as they are less economical to teach.
Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Subjects we have always seen as culturally really important will increasingly become the preserve of private schools because state schools can’t afford to teach them.”
George McMillan, Executive Principal at Harris Academy schools in Greenwich and Ockendon in Essex, said: “For A-level we are already in a position where to make subjects work financially you need at least 100 students in each year group. Anything that isn’t popular enough can’t run.”