NINETY primary school headteachers from across Bradford have written to the Government in a plea for more support for the city's schools and pupils.

Bradford South MP Judith Cummins highlighted their plight in parliament and urged a fully-funded plan to prevent children from disadvantaged children from falling behind at school be brought forward.

Speaking during Education Questions, Mrs Cummins said: “Ninety primary school headteachers from across Bradford have written to the Secretary of State to express their disappointment in his inability to support teachers and pupils. 

“School-age children in my constituency have some of the lowest social mobility rates in the country. The Government says it has a plan to ensure children catch up on the learning they’ve lost– but there are currently only enough places on the National Tutoring Programme for one in every five disadvantaged pupils in England.  

“Will the Secretary of State increase this as a matter of urgency and commit to publishing a fully funded plan to ensure that the most disadvantaged children do not fall behind even further?”  

Schools Minister Nick Gibb MP replied: “Ensuring no child suffers loss to their education or damage to their long-term prospects as a consequence of the pandemic is a key priority of education policy.

"That's why we secured a billion pounds of catch-up funding from the treasury, £350 million of that is for the national tutoring program, but also £650 million pounds is being distributed to all schools across the country on the basis of £80 per pupil and £240 per pupil in special school settings.

"That money can be used to target those children who most need to catch up.”  

Speaking after, Mrs Cummins said: “It is clear that the Government doesn’t have a plan to prevent children falling behind in their education. The funding they have announced simply isn’t enough. We urgently need a plan to ensure that no child in Bradford falls even further behind.”