§ Mr. GardinerTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what weight is given to the costs of funding school trips for schools in deprived areas when the Department calculates school budgets; [135133]
(2) whether there are (a) national and (b) local distributors of funds for schools in deprived areas seeking funding for school trips; [135134]
(3) what resources are allocated to schools in areas of high deprivation to ensure that they are able to comply with his Department's guidelines on allowing children in receipt of free school meals to attend school trips. [135135]
§ Mr. MilibandThe Education Funding Formula does not include a factor to specifically take account of the cost of funding school trips for schools in deprived areas. It does include a factor to take account of the296W extra costs of educating deprived pupils. The factor uses data on families in receipt of Income Support and the Working Families Tax Credit.
I am not aware c f any national or local distributors of funds for schools in deprived areas seeking funding for school trips.
It is for a school's governing body to decide on the allocation of resources for school trips from the school's budget share. Regulations require that all local education authorities distribute some funding on the basis of social deprivation.