Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Education – in the Senedd at 1:31 pm on 5 June 2019.
I am familiar with the phenomenon that is the prom, and it's a world away from the senior school discos I'm sure we all attended. The cost of the school day is an issue that I'm very interested in. I am fully aware of the significant impact it can have on some children, often from groups that would benefit most from those extra-curricular and out-of-school activities. I have asked Children in Wales to produce resources for schools, to encourage the consideration of the impact of additional costs on families, and the first series of guides will be available by September and will cover a range of specific issues. Of course, additional to that, we will be investing more than £5.1 million in the pupil development grant access fund this year, to help parents with the costs associated with the school day, including school uniform, and kit and equipment, as well as spending a record amount on PDG in itself to support the education of some of our most disadvantaged children.