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<p>Apprenticeships are jobs with training that are open to anyone aged 16 and over.
The apprenticeship levy was introduced to support employers of all sizes to invest
in high-quality apprenticeship training. The department’s annual budget for apprenticeships
in England has increased to over £2.7 billion in the 2024/25 financial year. This
budget is ringfenced for spend on apprenticeships training and assessment only to
meet employer demand for high-quality apprenticeships and cannot be used for other
purposes.</p><p> </p><p>To ensure that every child, regardless of their background,
can excel at school and achieve their full potential, the department has targeted
a greater proportion of the schools national funding formula towards deprived pupils
than ever before. In total, 10.2%, over £4.4 billion, of the formula will be allocated
according to deprivation factors in the 2024/25 financial year and 17.8%, or £7.8
billion, will be allocated for additional needs overall. This will help schools in
their vital work to close attainment gaps and level up educational opportunities.</p><p>
</p><p>The pupil premium grant, introduced in 2011, also offers direct funding to
schools to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged 5 to 16 year olds in state-funded
schools in England. The department increased the premium pupil funding to over £2.9
billion this financial year to ensure the most disadvantaged pupils receive the support
they need to succeed at school.</p><p> </p><p>The department is providing funding
to ensure that every 16 to 18 year old has a place in further education or training
if they want one. The department invested over £7 billion on 16 to 19 programme funding
during the 2023/24 academic year, which included over £590 million to support students
who are economically deprived and to account for low prior attainment in English and
mathematics. Over £35 million has also been allocated in the 2023/24 academic year
to provide free meals for 16 to 19 year olds in further education. Additionally, the
department allocated over £159 million of bursary funding to institutions in the 2023/24
academic year to help disadvantaged 16 to 19 year olds with costs such as travel,
books, equipment and trips, which is nearly 12% higher than published allocations
for the 2022/23 academic year.</p><p> </p>
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