Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of recent changes to the National Funding Formula on the deprivation attainment gap in schools.

The Government is committed to creating a country that works for everyone, regardless of their background. We want all children to reach their full potential and to succeed in adult life.

Disadvantage has a significant impact on pupils’ attainment. This impact is seen throughout the school system and compounded in areas of disadvantage. In recognition of that, our formula recognises educational disadvantage in its widest sense, using different indicators within the deprivation factor into target funding widely. We want, in particular, to include those pupils who are not necessarily eligible for free school meals, but whose families are still struggling to get by.