The funding will be used to ensure more schools are able to operate and develop as Community Focused Schools, which reach out to engage families and work with the wider community to support all pupils and particularly those disadvantaged by poverty.

It is part of a package of measures which will provide more support for schools to ensure all children have the best start in life regardless of their background.

£4.9m of investment will be used to expand the number of Family Engagement Officers employed by schools to tackle inequality and absence issues, helping provide more support to children and families who need it most. It will also be used to fund a trial of Community Managers based in schools to link up with other agencies to support pupils and the wider community as well as funding research on educational attainment. Investing in Community Focused Schools is a Programme for Government Commitment.

£20m will be invested in delivering Community Focused Schools, to fund practical ways of improving school facilities in order to enable greater community use. This includes providing equipment storage for community groups running extra-curricular activities, improving external lighting in sports areas, and introducing security measures to segregate school and community use areas. This funding will be allocated to local authorities across Wales on a formula basis based on pupil and school numbers.

Further information