Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer.322
A young person’s ability to benefit from education should never be determined by their background or personal circumstances. Narrowing the attainment gap, between pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers, is at the heart of our national mission to raise standards and deliver an education system that is a source of national pride and enjoys public confidence. Secured as part of a budget deal between the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the then Welsh Government, the pupil development grant has led to over £475 million additional investment which has directly supported over half a million young people eligible for free school meals in reaching their potential.323
Year on year the PDG has been expanded both in terms of the groups of learners it now supports and the scale of the investment. It focuses funding where it has the greatest impact, which we know is in the early years, so we have increased this element of the funding over recent years. And it supports groups that need additional support, including our care experienced young people, which is why we have strengthened the PDG/looked after children arrangements from this month.324
Schools continue to tell us how invaluable PDG funding is. However, I recognise that targeted funding cannot be the only solution. To be blunt, Deputy Presiding Officer, our current system has not always rewarded the right behaviours, and how we measure the attainment gap isn’t as simple as some claim. Science entries are a really good example. In previous years, Wales saw a significant increase in FSM pupils being wrongly entered for BTEC science, rather than GCSEs. Not only did this limit aspirations, it meant that their performance was masked in our national attainment gap figures. We have taken action to address this, which has led to an increase of 30 per cent, since 2016, in the number of free school meals pupils who have achieved at least one GCSE in science. 325
Earlier this year, 326
Earlier this year, we published the detail of our draft evaluation and improvement arrangements. A previous focus on the C/D boundary supported many, but it excluded others. Instead, schools will now be evaluated according to the difference they make to the progress of every single child. This will require a system-wide culture change and will be essential in raising attainment for all.327
Through targeted resources, more intelligent accountability measures, and setting high expectations for all, we will continue to support all learners to reach the highest standards. However, I think most of us in this Chamber can agree that, at times of austerity, too often it is families and pupils from our more disadvantaged backgrounds that struggle the most.328
I know that the cost of the school day is an important issue. In the last two years, we have taken a number of significant actions to support families and their children. Last year, I asked Children in Wales to produce a set of guides for schools covering key aspects of this. The guides will focus on opportunities to change culture in schools around disadvantage and provide strategies for addressing particular challenges around the cost of the school day. The first series of guides will be available from September and will be built upon thereafter.329
PDG Access, which supports families with the costs of uniforms, kit and equipment, has been introduced specifically to help the families that need it most. Earlier this month, we doubled the funding available to £5 million. This means we have extended eligibility to the start of every key stage. Funding for looked-after children will be available in every school year, maximising the support we can provide to some of our most vulnerable learners. We have also increased the amount available for eligible year 7 learners from £125 to £200, recognising the increased costs associated with starting secondary school.330
More broadly, I want to make sure we're doing everything that we can to make school uniform more affordable. We recently consulted on new draft statutory guidance, which I hope will come into force in September of this year.331
As we all know, for some of our young people and children, the school summer holidays can be a difficult time. Children who benefit from free school breakfasts and lunches can sometimes miss out on these meals and go hungry during the school holidays. That's why we are funding the school holiday enrichment programme. This delivers educational, social and health outcomes, as well as nutritional benefits, and we have further increased this investment so even more children will benefit from the scheme this summer.332
Members will be aware that the Government recently announced a further £2.3 million to make period products available to learners in all schools, free of charge. I am pleased today to also announce additional funding of £845,000 to offer the same free service to learners at further education colleges. As well as supporting our disadvantaged young women, the funding will go wider, focusing on dignity, equality and well-being.333
Deputy Presiding Officer, it's also important that I touch upon the support we offer to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who aspire to study at university. All the evidence indicates that it is living costs, not fees, that is the greatest barrier to people studying at university. This Government has taken action to address this, resulting in the most progressive and generous student support package in the United Kingdom.334
Full-time undergraduates with household incomes up to £18,370 are entitled to the maximum grant, worth £8,100 a year. Provisional data from the student loans company for 2018-19 shows that around one third of full-time undergraduates have been awarded this maximum level of grant. Our reforms are unique in Europe, offering parity of support for part-time students. Not only have we seen a 35 per cent increase in the number of part-time students receiving support, but latest figures show that half of those supported have also qualified for the maximum amount of grant.335
I have also spoken before on how progression into postgraduate study is our next challenge in widening participation. By introducing equivalent living costs support for Master's students, we will address this challenge. I am delighted that the most recent336
I am delighted that the most recent figures show a 58 per cent increase in the number of postgraduates supported, and this is an area where we will continue to make real progress.337
Deputy Presiding Officer, I have given a brief overview today of just some of the measures taken in the last two years. I am in no doubt there is a great deal more to do, and I am always keen to hear the views of Members but, as a Government, we remain determined to do everything in our power to ensure that everyone, no matter who they are or where they are, has the opportunity to reach their full potential.