Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support (a) pre-school, (b) primary school and (c) secondary school-aged children living in poverty other than through the provision of free school meals.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Spreading opportunity and ensuring every child can reach their potential no matter their background or where they live remains a key priority for the department. The department has a range of support in place for pupils, families and schools.
Low-income families and children experiencing other forms of disadvantage can qualify for 15 hours free early education for 2 year olds, a year before all children become eligible for 15 hours at ages 3 and 4. These entitlements support children’s development and helps prepare them for school.
Within schools, the department has consistently taken steps to help economically disadvantaged pupils, including improving the quality of teaching and curriculum resources, strengthening the school system and providing targeted support where needed. Underpinning this is pupil premium, worth over £2.9 billion this year. In 2024/25, the department has targeted a greater proportion of schools National Funding Formula towards disadvantaged pupils than ever before; 10.2% (over £4.4 billion) of the formula has been allocated according to deprivation in 2024/25.
To offer children from low-income families a free nutritious breakfast, the department is investing up to £35 million in the National School Breakfast Programme until the end of July 2025. This funding is reaching up to 2,700 primary and secondary schools in disadvantaged areas to better support attainment, wellbeing and readiness to learn.
Since 2021, the department has also provided more than £200 million of funding every year to local authorities across England for holiday provision for school-aged children from reception to year 11 (inclusive) who receive benefits-related free school meals and other families that most need it. The department has also published statutory guidance on the cost of school uniform to ensure uniform is affordable for all families.
Family hubs are a one stop shop for families to get the help they need. They provide services for children of all ages, or between 0 to 19 or 0 to 25 for families with children who have special educational needs and disabilities, with a great Start for Life offer at their core.
To support families with the cost of living in recent years, the government has provided one of the most generous support packages in Europe. The total support over 2022 to 2025 to help households and individuals with higher bills amounts to £108 billion, which is on average £3,800 per UK household.
Apr. 22 2024
Source Page: Submit your section 151 officer return and schools financial value standard assurance statementFound: professional qualification targeted support funding national tutoring programme grant PE and sport premium
Apr. 22 2024
Source Page: I. List of ministerial responsibilities. 88p. II. List of non-ministerial departments and executive agencies. 22p. III. Letter dated 19/04/2024 from Alex Burghart MP to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee regarding documents for deposit, and copying them for deposit in the House libraries. 1p.Found: curriculum ● School improvement ● Academies and free schools ● Further education ● Apprenticeships and
Apr. 17 2024
Source Page: Immigration Rules archive: 11 March 2024 to 3 April 2024Found: at it for pupils under or over that age); or (ii) for at lea st one pupil of compulsory school age
Oral Evidence Apr. 16 2024
Inquiry: Children’s social careFound: really positive changes in the adoption strategy around education, with things like access to pupil
Apr. 12 2024
Source Page: Immigration Rules archive: 10 April 2024 to 10 April 2024Found: at it for pupils under or over that age); or (ii) for at lea st one pupil of compulsory school age
Apr. 12 2024
Source Page: Immigration Rules archive: 10 April 2024 to 10 April 2024Found: at it for pupils under or over that age); or (ii) for at lea st one pupil of compulsory school age
Apr. 12 2024
Source Page: Immigration Rules archive: 4 April 2024 to 9 April 2024Found: at it for pupils under or over that age); or (ii) for at lea st one pupil of compulsory school age
Mar. 28 2024
Source Page: National Islands Plan Annual Report 2023Found: meals, with 17 Scottish Councils currently holding accreditation.
Mar. 26 2024
Source Page: School census 2024 to 2025: technical informationFound: School census 2024 to 2025: technical information