Prime Minister backs education in Sandwell

David Cameron today confirmed that the Government is committed to helping disadvantaged areas including Sandwell, through its education policies, such as the Pupil Premium. This investment, in the region of £7 billion, is happening despite the economic problems which the previous Government left the Coalition with.

James Morris, MP for Halesowen and Rowley Regis, asked David Cameron, during Prime Ministers Questions today, if he could “reassure the children and parents from schools in Sandwell that the Government, particularly with their pupil premium policy, are on the side of children and families in Sandwell?”

David Cameron replied: “I absolutely can do that, because we made some difficult choices in the spending review to say that we are going to put more money into early-years education for two-year-olds from deprived families. That was previously not available. We are going to fund extra hours for three and four-year-olds in nursery education. We are going to make sure that there is a pupil premium, never dreamed of by a Labour Government in 13 years in office that is over and above the per-pupil funding in our schools. Then we are going to carry that through to university so that children on free school meals will get some time at university for free and will not have to pay the student premiums. All those things will make a big difference, and they show that this is a Government who have made some progressive choices in education, even though we inherited a mess that we had to clear up”.

James Morris commented: “It was good to hear the Prime Minister reassure pupils, parents and teachers in Sandwell that the Government is on their side and committed to improving education in the area. They have pledged additional funding through the Pupil Premium to disadvantaged areas and I hope that this will start to make a difference in Sandwell”