ALMOST £750,000 has been awarded to Somerset schools which experienced a rise in pupil numbers this September.

Six schools in the Bridgwater area are among those to receive the boost from Somerset County Council’s Growth Fund – designed to give extra support to expanding schools in the county.

This additional funding is offered every year by the county council, which is responsible for allocating a school place to every school-age child who has applied for a place within the county.

Once schools receive the Growth Fund from Somerset County Council, it is then down to individual schools’ governing bodies to decide how to best use this additional funding.

This could be to appoint extra teaching or support staff or pay for additional learning resources or equipment.

The council allows maintained schools or academies to apply for a Growth Fund grant, to help them accommodate a higher-thanexpected pupil intake.

Schools have to prove that they meet the criteria set out by the Somerset Schools Forum, including significant pressure on their resources because of a rise in pupil numbers from the previous year.

Pupil numbers are recorded every October through a national pupil census.

This census determines how much money an individual school will receive in its overall budget the following year.

The schools in the Bridgwater area who have received additional funding from Somerset County Council this autumn, are: St. Mary’s C of E VC Primary School, Catcott Community Primary School near Bridgwater, Churchfield Church School, Highbridge, North Petherton Community Primary School, Somerset Bridge Community Primary School, Bridgwater and Wembdon, St Georges C of E VC Primary School.

Cllr Frances Nicholson, cabinet member for Children and Families, said: “Our duty and commitment to Somerset’s children is to ensure that every child who applies to us for a school place is offered a school place.

“Linked to that commitment, we are pleased to be able to offer and give extra support to all schools who meet the additional funding criteria, so they are supported as their pupil numbers rise.”