Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to make further announcements on funding awards for character education under the character grants programme.

We want all schools to offer a broad and balanced education consisting of a rigorous academic curriculum supported with activities to develop attributes such as resilience, self-efficacy, character and leadership.

That is why the Department invested £3.5m in the Character Grant scheme, which provided developmental activities to young people. On Monday 9 October the Department announced that the Character Grant programme has closed and replaced with £22 million to fund the development of essential life skills in children and young people in the twelve Opportunity Areas. By directing funding specifically towards disadvantaged children in some of the most deprived parts of the country, we are able to help children who face the greatest difficulties building these life skills.

The web link to the announcement is on Gov.uk, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plans-launched-to-drive-social-mobility-in-opportunity-areas