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Schools: Standards

Volume 487: debated on Tuesday 10 February 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many schools in the National Challenge funding programme have yet to receive any of the additional funding allocated via the programme; and if he will make a statement; (253178)

(2) which national challenge schools have received no national challenge funding since June 2008; and if he will make a statement.

We have worked with local authorities to agree a package of support for each school supported through the National Challenge. We have made payments to local authorities, rather than schools, through the Standards Fund.

We have not yet signed off plans for four local authorities, although all schools in those local authorities are being supported by a National Challenge Adviser.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 497W, on schools: standards, what methodology is used in calculating the level of financial support provided for each national challenge school. (254865)

Funding for schools supported through National Challenge has been tailored according to the needs of individual schools, and has not been calculated through a formula. My officials met representatives of local authorities in the autumn to develop bespoke funding plans, which were moderated to ensure consistency and value for money at a national level.