‘Schools face cuts of £200,000’: Lib Dems

SCHOOLS in the borough will lose out on almost £200,000 due to cuts to Pupil Premium.

The funds provide extra money to help pupils eligible for free school meals improve their progress and exam results.

This year, schools in Wokingham borough are set to lose £193,400 after the Government altered the method of calculating funding.

It will base grant allocation on the number of eligible pupils recorded by schools in their census in October last year.

Cllr Prue Bray, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for children’s services, called the cut “sickening”

She said: “When the attainment gap is widening and children from disadvantaged backgrounds have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, it is shameful that the Tories would seek to cut pupil premium money.

“This cut comes at the worst possible time, and penalises the most disadvantaged children. It is particularly sickening when you contrast this penny-pinching towards education for the most disadvantaged with the willingness of the Conservatives to hand over millions in government contracts to their mates.”

Cllr Morag Malvern, Liberal Democrat councillor for Emmbrook, was elected this month.

She said: “Liberal Democrats introduced the pupil premium and have already had to fight the Tories to keep it properly funded.

“Given the financial pressure that families are under, this change has real potential to cause harm and will have a direct impact on the quality of education schools can provide for those who are in desperate need of more, not less, support.”

Wokingham Conservatives were contacted for a comment.