Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the attainment gap for pupils in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council area.

Removing barriers to opportunity and driving high and rising standards at all schools are at the heart of the government’s opportunity mission which aims to transform children’s life chances.

The Education Policy Institute's Annual Report 2024 outlined that the disadvantage gap in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole is 10.2 months at the end of key stage 2 and that this grows to 16.1 months at the end of key stage 4. Far too many disadvantaged children are being failed and this government is determined to change this by raising standards and creating opportunities for all our children enabling them to achieve and thrive.

This is why the department has already started work to recruit an additional 6,500 expert teachers and has launched an independent, expert-led Curriculum and Assessment Review that will look closely at key challenges to attainment.

The department is also committed to making quick progress to deliver on its commitment to offer breakfast clubs in all state-funded primary schools, ensuring every primary school child is well prepared for school. The government confirmed it will triple its investment in breakfast clubs to over £30 million in the 2025/26 financial year to help ensure children are ready to learn at the start of the school day and help to drive improvements to behaviour, attendance, and attainment.

Alongside this, pupil premium funding is allocated to schools to support the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils and is worth over £2.9 billion in the 2024/25 financial year.

Departmental officials also continue to work closely with the multi-academy trusts and schools in the area to promote continued collaboration, sector-led networks and initiatives to remove barriers to opportunity for all children in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.