§ Tony CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what opportunities the Aim Higher scheme will provide to schools to access additional funding; and whether it will be open to schools not eligible under the Excellence Cluster scheme in West Cumbria. [103141]
§ Margaret HodgeThe Excellence Challenge programme, which will be renamed Aimhigher, provides direct funding to schools and colleges in areas of disadvantage to raise attainment and aspirations of young people. We will be expanding this programme to include Excellence Clusters, including West Cumbria, from this September. Areas which are not covered by this programme may benefit from funding through the Higher Education Funding Council's Aimhigher: Partnerships for Progression initiative.