'Positive impact' of pupil deprivation grant
The Pupil Deprivation Grant is having a "positive impact on the attainment levels of children from poorer backgrounds and improving confidence and attendance", according to the Liberal Democrats.
Aled Roberts, the Liberal Democrat AM for north Wales, said on 25 September 2013, that the grant is helping to break the link between poverty and educational underachievement, and close the attainment gap between pupils from disadvantaged and more advantaged backgrounds.
The Conservative Angela Burns welcomed the recent research by the Welsh Liberal Democrats into the impact of the Pupil Deprivation Grant in Wales, but said that she "regrets the lack of clarity with regard to the understanding and implementation of the Pupil Deprivation Grant across the surveyed schools".
The Labour AM Jenny Rathbone accused the Liberal Democrats of "not seeing the whole picture, by ignoring all the other initiatives going on in Wales".
The Plaid Cymru AM Simon Thomas called for an independent study by Estyn of the purpose and value of the grant.
