Written question WQ85530

I have approved the allocations for 2022-23 and these will be published on the Welsh Government website this week. In addition, grant letters will be issues to consortia and local authorities this week and once strategic plans for regions have been agreed, payments will follow.

Countering the effects of poverty on children’s and young people’s attainment is central to our flagship Pupil Development Grant (PDG). Year-on-year, we have extended the PDG to reflect the increase in eFSM learners, with funding for 2022-23 now at more than £130m.

PDG funding is delivered directly to schools from the regional consortia, which use PLASC data from the previous year to identify how many students are eFSM in each school in their region. This includes different cohorts of children:

• Learners eligible for free school meals (eFSM) educated in maintained schools at a rate of £1,150 per learner;

• In early years settings, both maintained and non-maintained, where the Foundation Phase is delivered, at a rate of £1,150;

• Looked-after children (LAC) and those who have been LAC, subject to a special guardianship or adopted from care aged three to15 at a rate of £1,150;

• Eligible learners singularly registered in pupil referral units (PRUs) and education other than at school (EOTAS) at a rate of £1,150.

We continue to work closely with PDG regional representatives to identify those areas where funding can have most impact, particularly in the context of the recommendations from the Review of School Spending in Wales report; in particular prioritising additional funding for more deprived schools, and working with local authorities on ensuring more consistent and transparent school funding formulae.

PDG has a key part to play in achieving this and we will build on existing effective practice by ensuring we target the funding as best as possible. While the use of the PDG should be decided by schools, these decisions need to be strategically influenced, better grounded in evidence and rigorously monitored for impact. To that end, as well as updating the terms and conditions of the grant we will be producing new guidance for schools on the use of the PDG, working closely with the Education Endowment Foundation.