A new report by the National Audit Office (NAO) finds that the government has “little understanding” of whether schools spend funding focused on disadvantaged children for the intended purposes.
It estimates that the DfE spent £9.2bn last year to improve the attainment of disadvantaged children, but it does not know the full impact of almost half of its investment.
The department “recognises that it has limited evidence behind the disadvantage and deprivation elements of the national funding formula, which comprises almost half of its spend on supporting disadvantaged children’s attainment”, according to the report.
It highlights that 60% of disadvantaged children achieved the expected reading level at the end of primary school in 2022/23, compared with 78% for those not known to be disadvantaged.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
