4. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education: Update and next steps for the Pupil Development Grant

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:28 pm on 17 April 2018.

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Photo of Lynne Neagle Lynne Neagle Labour 4:28, 17 April 2018

Thanks, Deputy Presiding Officer. As Members have said and as the Cabinet Secretary is aware, we are nearly at the end of our inquiry into targeted funding. We've got a discussion about it tomorrow, and I really don't want to pre-empt the committee's findings on that, because we will be making, I hope, a good number of recommendations, which I'm sure the Cabinet Secretary will want to take very seriously. I am pleased that the work that the committee has done has enabled a continued light to be shone on this very important area of work.

I just wanted to ask two brief questions, the first related to the resilience of pupils in the 2017 GCSEs, which you've referred to several times in answers. In particular, you've highlighted the fact that you are intending to ensure that the lessons of good practice will be rolled out to all parts of Wales. Can I just ask whether you can give a more concrete indication of when you expect that work to be completed and for your assurance that that is going to be in good time for this summer's exams?

My second question was on the issue of more able and talented learners, because the committee has received a lot of evidence that some schools are just using their PDG on free-school-meal pupils who aren't performing well, and I very much welcome the clarity that you've provided this afternoon that you expect that money to be used for all EFSM pupils. But in relation to that, do you have any concrete plans to ensure that that message is given loud and clear to the whole of Wales, and to ensure that that is properly implemented everywhere? Thank you.