SCHOOLCHILDREN from disadvantaged backgrounds in Penrith and the Border have been allocated a further £1.5m in Pupil Premium.
Constituency MP Rory Stewart said the cash for the 2014-15 school year would help them achieve their full potential.
The premium is additional funding given to all state schools to help disadvantaged pupils close the attainment gap between them and their peers.
Mr Stewart said: "This is excellent news for disadvantaged pupils and their families in Penrith and the Border, and will give local schools the support they need to ensure that every child, regardless of their family background, can fulfill their potential.
“We have to overcome so many challenges here in Cumbria already: reduced access to schools, the threat of school closures, the cutting of discretionary transport funding, challenges of sparsity and distance.
“However, regardless of our location, no student should suffer disproportionately, and the pupil premium goes some way to helping out. I very much welcome the assistance."
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