At full Council today, I was taken aback by Labour’s amendment which called upon the government to “scrap the sham pupil premium”. Now there is only one pupil premium which this year has delivered over £10 million to Manchester’s schools targeted at those in most need and which will be doubled next year to over £20 million. That’s money which is per pupil who is in need, i.e. those receiving free school meals (as there is a clear link between families in financial need and those pupils needing extra assistance) and children in care. I know that in Gorton and Abbey Hey, this money is making a real difference to school budgets, and is being used to help boost standards. The Pupil Premium is no sham, the money is in schools now.
But Labour made it crystal clear today at Council that they want it removed. They say it’s “not fair” that only pupils in greatest need get the extra funding (which is the reverse of many of their policies in Government). Or to put it another way, they hate the fact that they have no control as to how much of the extra funding (if any) that the schools get and how it is distributed.
However it remains truly shocking that Labour are asking to Government to take money away from the neediest pupils.
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[...] Lib Dem councillor for Gorton South, Jackie Pearcey, says: I know that in Gorton and Abbey Hey, this money is making a real difference to school budgets, and [...]