Stephen McPartland MP is delighted that disadvantaged children in the Stevenage area are set to receive £815,000 this year under the new government's Pupil Premium which is available for the first time.

Stephen said:"This is fantastic news for local children. The gap between the academic performance of children from deprived backgrounds and their peers is far too big and has been ignored for too long. The Pupil Premium will tackle this head on, providing targeted funding for those who need it most. The new government is delivering a massive boost to the education of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children in our area."

The Pupil Premium is an extra lump sum of cash which follows every disadvantaged child and is received by schools, allowing them to provide additional support such as one-to-one tuition and extra pastoral care.

In the year from April 2011, the pupil premium will be worth £430 for every pupil on Free School Meals and £430 for every looked-after child. This means that in Stevenage this year 1,900 children overall will benefit from an additional £815,000.