Pupil Premium will help improve GSCE results in Torbay  

Information released recently shows that secondary schools in Torbay need extra support to help pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds achieve their full potential. Nationally, children on free school meals or in local authority care for at least six months are half as likely to achieve five A*-C grade GCSEs including English and maths compared to their more well-off classmates. To turn this around, Liberal Democrat Children’s Minister, Sarah Teather recently announced that next year, schools in Torbay will be receiving almost £2million as part of the Pupil Premium. The Pupil Premium gives extra money to schools to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds, for example by providing extra one to one tuition, more teaching assistants or after school activities. Next year, the amount available for the Pupil Premium will be doubled to £1.25bn and this will increase to £2.5bn by 2014-15. Commenting,...