As the new school year begins, pupils in our local schools here in Preston will benefit from an extra £705,510 on top of the school budget received last year thanks to the Liberal Democrat Pupil Premium.

The amount Preston schools receive from the pupil premium for the 2013/2014 school year will be £2,351,700

The Pupil Premium helps to provide extra support for the children who need it the most. This will help whole classes move forward faster together.

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 to offer reading and maths classes for children who need an extra hand or to provide appropriate IT facilities.

And in 2014/15, the Pupil Premium will be further increased to £1,300 per eligible primary school pupil up from £900 per child this year.

Commenting, Mark Jewell said, “We have learnt that if your child starts behind in secondary school, they stay behind. That is unacceptable. As part of the Liberal Democrats’ aim to build a fairer society, the Coalition Government is putting extra money into primary schools to help teachers support disadvantaged children.”