IPSWICH schools were boosted by a rise in government spending today.

IPSWICH schools were boosted by a rise in government spending today.

The settlement means the amount of money spent on each pupil will rise by 13 per cent over the next three years.

Spending on pupils will, in real terms, be twice that of 1997.

The revenue expenditure announcement shows that £3,591 is spent on each Ipswich pupil in 2008, £3,763 the following year and £4,065 in 2010.

The rises come on top of a 34 per cent increase between 1997 and 2005 and mean more personalised learning, early intervention to prevent struggling children falling behind, the rolling out nationally of the Every Child a Reader and Every Child Counts schemes and targeted funding for pupils in disadvantaged areas.

Ipswich MP Chris Mole said: “The settlement is a good one for pupils, teachers and parents.

“The government wants maximum resources directed at teaching and learning and by introducing the first-ever three year funding settlement we are giving Ipswich's schools the ability to plan ahead and run their finances more effectively.

“Under Labour all of Ipswich's young people are continuing to benefit - they deserve no less.

“I particularly welcome funds that support increased personalised learning, which will help raise the educational achievement of all young people and narrow the gap in education between disadvantaged pupils and their peers”

Recent allocations of capital investment will see more than £122 million invested in Suffolk schools between 2008 and 2011.

The money will be spent in part on a schools rebuilding programme and help provide pupils with state of the art classrooms and IT facilities.