Shropshire schools in line for a £2m cash injection
Schools in Shropshire are in line for an extra £2 million in Government funding this year, it was revealed today.
The money will be used to close the achievement gap between poorer pupils and those from better-off families. Under changes to the Government's pupil premium from April, Shropshire's primary and secondary schools are set to get £6 million in 2013/14, up from the £4.2 million received this year.
More than 15,000 children in the county are currently signed up for free school meals. Council bosses say there is a 'very close correlation' between lower income families and slower progress in school.
In 2011, fewer than 30 per cent of Shropshire children on free school meals got five or more GCSEs at C or above, compared to 60 per cent of other children.
Shropshire councillor Roger Evans said the extra funding could make a 'large difference' to county schools, potentially providing them with tens of thousands of pounds of extra funding each year.
And he urged all families eligible for free school meals to sign up to receive them.
He said: "In Shropshire, there could be a few thousand more eligible because there is still a stigma attached to it. But there needn't be. Most schools do now have a cashless system of payment."
Mr Evans said county schools had historically lagged behind their urban counterparts.
"A task and finish group has just looked at Shropshire to see how we can get more money.
"As a start each school in Shropshire gets just over £4,000 per pupil compared with Tower Hamlets who get just over £7,000," he said.
"To run our schools in a large rural county like Shropshire is expensive.
"I hope a national formula is soon introduced which means we will get more money for each child of school age.
"Until that happens this is the best we can do to improve the education our disadvantaged children get."
