Author Archives: Benjamin Denton-Cardew

Benjamin Denton-Cardew

Opinion: Pupil Premium funds must be targeted at the disadvantaged

By Benjamin Denton-Cardew | Sat 6th June 2015 - 10:30 am

Recently, the schools budget for disabled children was ring-fenced, so as to designate the funding in schools, colleges and academies. However, the pupil premium money (At present £935 Per 11+ student is free to be used by a school in any way they so choose. Today I had a conversation with the head teacher of my VI form (Who, for reasons clearly, shall remain un-named, as shall the VI Form) to discuss how the pupil premium money for the students at a disadvantage, was being used.

I was horrified to be told that the money going into the school is being used to provide “extra English and Maths lessons to benefit the wider school” There was absolutely no provision for the money to be used to help those students who were at a disadvantage!

As a Liberal Democrat I believe that sharp elbows do not always get you to the front of the queue, and your household income should have no impact on your education and your chances of success.

Continue reading »
Posted in Op-eds | Tagged , and | 12 Comments
Advert

Recent Comments

  • Selby Whittingham
    I recall Dennis at the regular Liberal dinners at the Manchester Reform Club in the late 1970s and also ran into him later at a London museum....
  • David Allen
    England fans would have been crazy to have carried Union Jacks to the World Cup. Scotland were also competing!...
  • Kevin Hawkins
    @Jana - Our vote decline in almost all of these elections is down to there being far more candidates standing. In some cases there were three or four extra part...
  • paul barker
    Unusually, there were 3 contests where Reform had stood before; in 2 of those their Vote fell. In both cases there seem to have been the same number of candidat...
  • Kevin Hawkins
    Here is my usual monthly summary of the last fifty local by-elections. Percentage Vote Share: Reform 24.24%, Labour 18.12%, Conservatives 17.52%, Liberal De...