Decision details

Debates are one of the most frequent items of business on the Plenary agenda. Many types of debate are brought forward in Plenary, including:

• Opposition party debates on a topic of their choice;

Other than in the case of Government debates, the time allocated for all other types of debates and their frequency are determined by the Business Committee

The item started at 17.03

Voting on the motion and amendments under this item was deferred until Voting Time.

A vote was taken on the motion without amendment:

NDM5306 Aled Roberts (North Wales)

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Recognises the importance of the Pupil Deprivation Grant in helping to break the link between poverty and educational underachievement, and close the attainment gap between pupils from disadvantaged and more advantaged backgrounds.

2. Notes the recent research by the Welsh Liberal Democrats into the impact of the Pupil Deprivation Grant in Wales, which:

a) indicates that the funding is having a positive impact on the attainment levels of children from poorer backgrounds and improving confidence and attendance; and

b) examines ways to improve the grant in the future.

3. Notes that funding for the Pupil Premium in England has increased year on year, from £488 per eligible pupil in 2011-12 to £1300 for 2014-15 compared to £450 per eligible pupil in Wales.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to:

a) substantially increase the Pupil Deprivation Grant funding per pupil in the next budget;

b) examine the benefits of extending the Pupil Deprivation Grant to pupils under the age of 5;

c) ensure that guidance on the grant is clear and concise and prioritise the development of a Sutton Trust Toolkit for Wales;

d) provide certainty over the future of the Pupil Deprivation Grant and timely information on individual allocations to schools;

e) encourage schools to have a clear policy for robust monitoring and appraisal whilst ensuring that the process is not overly bureaucratic; and

f) establish a fairer funding formula which ensures that funding accurately reflects the number of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds being supported by Pupil Deprivation Grant funding.

The motion without amendment was not agreed.

The following amendments were tabled:

Amendment 1 - William Graham (South Wales East)

Insert as new point 2 a) and renumber accordingly:

Regrets the lack of clarity with regard to the understanding and implementation of the Pupil Deprivation Grant across the surveyed schools.

A vote was taken on Amendment 1:

As required by Standing Order 6.20 the Deputy Presiding Officer exercised his casting vote by voting against the amendment. Therefore, the amendment was not agreed.

As the Assembly did not agree the motion without amendment, and did not agree the amendment tabled to the motion, the motion is therefore not agreed.