DAVID REES, AM WELCOMES £954,450 FUNDING BOOST FOR DISADVANTAGED PUPILS IN ABERAVON.

David Rees, AM has welcomed new figures which show that schools in Aberavon have received £954,450 to help disadvantaged pupils during 2012-13, thanks to the Welsh Labour Government’s Pupil Deprivation Grant.

All schools within the Aberavon Constituency have benefited from the Pupil Deprivation Grant with grants up to £109,350. The grant has been used in a range of different ways depending on school policies with many schools investing in new ICT equipment or additional members of support staff to deliver the Welsh Government’s Education Targets, especially in regards to the Welsh Government’s Literacy and Numeracy Strategy.

The Welsh Labour Government introduced the Pupil Deprivation Grant to help reduce the impact of poverty on educational attainment. 100% of the funding goes directly to school budgets. In the current year, each school has received £450 for each pupil aged between 5 and 15 who is eligible for free school meals.　

David Rees, AM said: “It is crucial that all our children are able to reach their full potential and are not held back because they come from a disadvantaged background.

“The Pupil Deprivation Grant shows how the Welsh Labour Government is taking practical action to deliver better educational opportunities across Wales.

“It is vital that schools make maximum use of this money and I will continue to liaise with them about how the money is being spent within our schools in order to meet the needs of our most disadvantaged children.”

Figures from the Welsh Government show that more than £32m of Pupil Deprivation Grant funding has been given to schools in Wales during 2012-13 to help pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds.