£764,000 Extra for schools in Maidstone & The Weald - thanks to Lib Dems
October 18, 2011 10:45 PM
Liberal Democrat Councillors in Maidstone have welcomed the announcement of a £764,000 pupil premium for schools in Maidstone and the Weald.
News of the extra money comes after, Liberal Democrat Children's Minister, Sarah Teather recently announced that the total Pupil Premium funding for next year will rise to £1.25bn, double the amount in 2011-12. Thanks to Liberal Democrats, it will rise again each year until 2014-15 when it will be worth £2.5bn.
The original plans for an extra £430 per pupil have been boosted by £100m, meaning that every school in Kent will now get nearly £500 for every child on Free School Meals.
In Maidstone & The Weald this means an extra £764,000.
The money is to be used by schools to increase attainment of disadvantaged children.
Childrens Minister Sarah Teather said: "The Pupil Premium will benefit poorer pupils, providing extra money directly for those pupils who need it the most. "This extra funding will help tackle inequality and enable schools to provide the extra support their pupils need to reach their full potential."
Local Lib Dem Borough Councillor Bryan Vizzard said: "The Pupil Premium is one of the four key commitments on which the Liberal Democrats fought the 2010 General Election on and is designed to support pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.
It is a shocking fact that pupils from these backgrounds are three times less likely to achieve five good GSCEs than their more well-off classmates. "Education is the best way to end the underachievement of disadvantaged pupils through supporting children comprehensively from early years straight through to secondary school.
"That is why Liberal Democrats nationally have ensured that there is extra money to finally reverse this worrying trend that was allowed to continue under the previous government." I am delighted that every school in Maidstone will benefit.
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