Schools in line for £5m boost (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Southampton schools in line for £5m boost through Government’s Pupil Premium

9:31am Wednesday 18th January 2012 in Education

Schools in line for £5m boost

Southampton’S schools could be in line for a £5.6m boost to help educate the city’s most disadvantaged youngsters – but only with parents’ help.

Schools could get the money through the Government’s Pupil Premium, but only if children are registered for free school meals.

Council bosses are now urging parents to sign up for the lunchtime support before tomorrow’s annual pupil census, which next year’s allocation will be based on.

The Department for education has announced that the premium will be £600 per child this year, which has been raised from £488 last year because fewer than expected families had registered for free school meals.

If everyone eligible is registered, Southampton’s schools could see a £2.4m increase in the amount they receive next year, compared with this year’s figure of £3.2m.

As well as providing schools with extra cash to spend on educating disadvantaged young people and improving their grades, registering for free school meals can save families cash and ensure that youngsters are getting a decent hot meal every day.

Southampton City Council’s education boss, Cllr Jeremy Moulton, said: “Children and young people in Southampton are capable of achieving a massive amount and we need to do all we can to help them reach their potential.

“That’s why it’s crucial that, where a pupil is eligible for free school meals, they are registered in order to enable schools to secure this valuable extra funding.

“The increased Pupil Premium will help schools to support children and young people from less well-off backgrounds, which in turn will help whole classes work better together. We should recognise that those from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to secure five good GSCE grades and that any extra money we can secure can help improve this.”

The Pupil Premium is designed to cut the gap in achievement between those from differing backgrounds.

In Southampton last year, 58.9 per cent of 11-year-olds known to be eligible for free school meals achieved the expected level in both English and maths at Key Stage 2, compared with 73 per cent of ineligible pupils.

And only 25 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals achieved five A*-C GCSEs or equivalent, including English and mathematics, compared with 51 per cent who are not eligible.