Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg has announced the biggest ever rise in the Pupil Premium for primary schools to help ensure that more pupils are able to achieve higher standards. It will now be £1,300 per pupil from April 2014 and based on qualifying pupil numbers in a school during January 2014.

The Pupil Premium provides schools with extra money to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds. This will help whole classes move forward faster together.

It will be increased to £1,300 per eligible primary school pupil in 2014/15, up from £900 per child this year. That’s likely to be an extra £734,500 for primary schools in East Dulwich.

East Dulwich ward
Goodrich Community Primary School	302	£392,600
Goose Green Primary School	144	£187,200
Heber Primary School	74	£96,200
St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School	45	£58,500
Ward total	565	£734,500

Schools will be able to spend this money in ways that they feel helps their pupils best. Evidence shows some schools use it to hire extra staff, reading and maths classes for children who need extra support or provide appropriate IT facilities.

It should help ensure more local children are ready for senior school. All the evidence shows that if your child starts behind in secondary school, they stay behind. That is unacceptable. St

As part of the Lib Dems aim to build a fairer society, the Coalition Government is putting extra money into primary schools to help teachers support disadvantaged children. This has to be a good thing.