Richard Fuller MP has welcomed the news that schools in both Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire Local Authorities will receive extra support as one of 55 new Education Investment Areas under plans to Level Up education for disadvantaged children and young people across England.
As part of the Government’s Levelling Up White Paper, 55 areas across the country will receive targeted support to help young people from all backgrounds receive the highest standards of education.
Education Investment Areas (EIAs) will be prioritised for new specialist sixth form free schools – ensuring that talented children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds have access to the learning they need to progress into training or higher education. They will also be eligible for retention payments to help schools maintain the best teachers in high priority subjects, and they will be able to access a new pilot programme improve pupil attendance.
The Government introduced a new national mission to ensure that 90 per cent of children leaving primary school in England are reaching the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths by 2030.
95 per cent of the areas selected as an Education Investment Area are outside London and the South East, levelling up education across England.
Commenting, Richard said:
No child or young person should be limited by where they grow up – they should be supported to get a world class education and the skills they need to succeed at school and beyond.
I welcome the extra support Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire are receiving from this Conservative Government, including funding to help schools retain the best teachers to give talented children from disadvantaged backgrounds the highest standard of education.
The Government is targeting investment and support as we build back fairer – helping to level up education standards, ensuring children and young people across the country to fulfil their potential.
Richard also spoke to Anglia News, which can be watched here.