Labour promises more money for one-to-one tuition

Labour has promised an extra £50 million for primary schools if it is reelected, to provide catch up support for children falling behind in English or Maths.

Children falling behind in the first years of primary school will be guaranteed extra support - either in small groups, or intensive individual tuition for children who are furthest behind.

Looked after children will automatically get one-to-one support.

Children who are still not making progress by age seven will get one to one tuition, and those who leave primary school with poor English or Maths will get individual tuition in the first year of secondary school.

The £50m would mean the current Every Child a Reader and Every Child Counts programmes could expand by 10,000 pupils each by 2014. But Children's Secretary Ed Balls said the decision to expand the programmes wouldn't be made until they had been evaluated.

He said, "Personal tuition must not be the preserve of those who can afford it - but must be available to all who need it. And even though money is going to be tighter over the years ahead by protecting schools spending, making tough choices and reducing inefficiency we can afford to make this pledge.”