STUNELL WELCOMES BIG BOOST FOR PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN HAZEL GROVE

Andrew Stunell MP has welcomed the news that primary schools across his Hazel Grove constituency are set to get more than £400,000 in extra cash to help pupils achieve their best.

Commenting, Andrew said -

"All the evidence shows 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.

"This boost in the Pupil Premium will help ensure we give those children a far better start at secondary school, so they have a better start in life."

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 - the biggest rise yet. That's likely to be an extra £433,200 for primary schools in Hazel Grove.

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 an extra hand or provide appropriate IT facilities.