§ David DavisTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria are used to allocate funding for gifted pupils. [136710]
§ Mr. MilibandFunding for gifted and talented education is used to support area-based programmes in disadvantaged areas, regional support through the London Challenge and a range of national resources that are universally available, notably the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth.
The area-based programmes— provided through Excellence in Cities, Excellence Clusters and Aim Higher—benefit urban LEAs and smaller pockets of disadvantage, some in suburban and rural areas. Each school uses this funding to support their most able 5–10 per cent. of pupils, so the measure of ability is relative to the school.
In addition to benefiting from national resources, LEAs and schools outside these areas are encouraged to use generic funding to support gifted and talented education.