Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government in the light of <i>An evidence review of the drivers of child poverty for families in poverty now and for poor children growing up to be poor adults</i> (Cm 8781), published in January 2014, which stated that much of the difference in attainment between pupils relates to their individual characteristics rather than the effectiveness of the school they attend, and the closure of the Child Poverty Unit, what steps they are taking in respect of children’s primary school tuition, other than ensuring an effective education, to improve the outcomes of poor children and alleviate the cycle of poverty.

Since 2011 schools have received significant extra funding through the pupil premium to accelerate the progress and development of their poorest pupils. Schools assess the needs of each eligible pupil and, using the evidence of what works best, choose the most effective approaches to overcome barriers to achievement. The government has established the Education Endowment Foundation to research how best to accelerate progress and share the findings with schools.

Since the introduction of the pupil premium the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has decreased by 9.3% in primary schools. By introducing a new progress measure for pupil performance in 2016 we are ensuring that schools focus on realising the potential of every one of their pupils, rather than concentrating on achievement alone.