Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support primary school pupils from the poorest families; and if she will make a statement.

We are determined to ensure that every child, regardless of background, is given an education which allows them to fulfil their potential. As part of a Conservative Party manifesto commitment from the 2010 election we invested an extra £6.25 billion in schools through the pupil premium from 2011-12 to 2014-15 to help raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils, including a higher rate of per-pupil funding for primary-aged pupils since April 2014.

The latest key stage 2 results are positive: at age 11 disadvantaged pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics increased by five percentage points to 67% between 2012 and 2014, and the gap with their better-off peers narrowed.

Worth £2.5bn this year, this Government is committed to providing the pupil premium so schools receive additional money for their most disadvantaged pupils. Decisions on school funding beyond the financial year 2015-16 will be made as part of the forthcoming spending review.