A £3,000 “pupil premium” of extra funding targeted at children from poorer backgrounds would bring an extra £9.6m to Shropshire’s schools and help close the “unacceptable” education gap between rich and poor, a leading charity claimed today.

The gap between rich and poor pupils doing well at school remains wide open in Shropshire classrooms despite continued political promises to close it, according to Save the Children.

GCSE results reveal that only 45 per cent of the poorest children in Shropshire managed five good GCSE passes compared with 74 per cent of their better-off classmates – a 29 per cent gap, the charity said

Shropshire Council is already one of the worst funded education authorities in England.

Shortly before the summer break, Shropshire secondary heads leader Candy Garbett, warned that many county secondaries had not been given enough money this year to meet their basic budgetary needs.

Launching its “Better Odds at School” campaign, Save the Children today highlighted the link between levels of deprivation at home and a child’s academic achievement in the classroom with those on free school meals far less likely to achieve five A* to C grades than their wealthier classmates.

In Shropshire, there are currently 3,209 children receiving free school meals.

The government has committed to a pupil premium, but has not yet said how much it will give per pupil – a decision that is likely to be revealed after next month’s Comprehensive Spending Review announcement.

Save the Children is calling for the level to be set at £3,000 per pupil, doubling existing funding for the poorest children, in order to pay for more one-to-one support and study programmes.

Sally Copley, the charity’s head of UK policy, said: “It’s simply wrong that at every stage of schooling, the poorest children in Shropshire do worse and make less progress than their better-off classmates.”

The charity is also calling on Shropshire people to sign an online petition to the Government at www.savethechildren .org.uk/betterodds

John Rowley, Shropshire Council’s assistant director for children and young people’s services, said: “Shropshire Council does everything it can to support children to achieve the best education now and in the future.

“Any further resources to assist schools would be greatly appreciated.”

By Education Correspondent Dave Morris