Cash boost for Yeovil pupils

YEOVIL MP David Laws (pictured), who is Minister of State for Schools, has confirmed that 2,483 pupils in the Yeovil area will benefit from extra funding in 2013-14.

Mr Laws confirmed that £2,234,700 of additional cash will be made available to schools in Yeovil Constituency, to spend on supporting pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds in an initiative entitled Pupil Premium.

The scheme will be worth £1.65bn across the UK, which is the equivalent of £900 per eligible pupil.  Schools will be allowed to spend the money in any way they see fit in order to close the gap in educational achievement between pupils from richer and poorer backgrounds.

The extra funding through the Pupil Premium, a policy developed by Mr. Laws during his time as Education spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, gives pupils on Free School Meals targeted extra support, as research shows that children from poorer backgrounds often do less well in school than those from richer families. 

Mr Laws said: “I’m pleased that 2,483 pupils in Yeovil will benefit from additional funding worth £2,234,700 in the next academic year.

"This is an important investment and gives schools and headteachers the resources they need to give children from poorer backgrounds the extra support that is vital in helping them to fulfil their potential.

“The announcement means that schools in Yeovil will be given an extra £900 for more disadvantaged pupils.  It’s also important that headteachers will be given the space to decide for themselves how they spend this money, so that the funding will be well-targeted and tailored to help each individual child to get the best possible education."  

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