Ministers to set out plans to halve attainment gap in England's schools

"Plans to halve the attainment gap between the poorest pupils in England and their more affluent peers will be set out by the government on Monday. The schools white paper will detail proposals to change the criteria under which schools receive funding to support the most disadvantaged students. Disadvantage funding is now allocated based on how many pupils at a school receive free school meals generally available to children from families with an annual income of less than 7,400."

"These reforms are a golden opportunity to cut the link between background and success one that we must seize. Our schools have made great strides in recent decades. Yet for too long, many children in our country have been let down by a one-size-fits-all system, denied opportunity because they're poor or because they have additional needs. Our schools white paper presents the blueprint for opportunity for the next generation."

"The disadvantage gap is as stark today as it was over a decade ago, Labour said, with only 44% of children in receipt of free school meals achieving a pass of grade 4 or above in GCSE maths and English. This compares with 70% of children who do not qualify for free school meals, the party added."

The government will set out plans to halve the attainment gap between the poorest pupils and their more affluent peers through a schools white paper proposing changes to disadvantage funding criteria. Disadvantage funding currently relies on eligibility for free school meals tied to families with under £7,400 annual income. Proposed reforms would broaden criteria to weight funding by family income and are likely to shift money away from annual per-child pupil premium payments. The white paper also includes proposals for local authorities to run multiacademy trusts and new minimum expectations for parental engagement. Current attainment shows 44% of free school meal pupils pass GCSEs versus 70% of others; disadvantage funding costs about £8bn a year.

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