PUPILS from poorer backgrounds will not be able to reach their full potential without a major funding boost for schools, headteachers have warned.

Oxfordshire has been handed £18.7m from the Government for the next school year to help teach "disadvantaged" youngsters by paying for benefits such as one-to-one tuition and trips out to museums and the theatre.

But new figures showed only one in ten of pupils in the county who received free school meals go on to university, compared to more than a third of their more affluent peers.

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The figure has remained static since the 2010/11 academic year, leading for calls for more to be done to help poorer pupils.

More than one in three pupils at John Henry Newman Academy in Littlemore are classed as "disadvantaged", meaning the school will get an extra £162,000 funding.

Headteacher Jackie Ranger said it was crucial to give pupils the best start in their education or they could continue to lag behind at secondary level and never have the chance to make it to university.

The school focuses its money on staff who improve links and learning between children's homes and the classroom, as well as ensuring pupils from all backgrounds receive a good education.

Mrs Ranger said: "The money is extremely important for our children.

"We provide a range of things for our children in terms of paying for our inclusion manager and our home-school link manager.

"There are things that we put in place to provide one-on-one support.

"But there have been so many cuts in education and it is never really enough, particularly in community schools where parents are struggling to support their children anyway.

"The most important thing is to ensure all pupils' progress is accelerated."

The Government defines children as "disadvantaged" if they have been in care or if they receive free school meals.

The 24 percentage point gap in Oxfordshire between pupils on free school meals and those not on free school meals going into higher education is bigger than nearby local authorities Hampshire, West Berkshire and Southampton.

Oxford Spires Academy in Glanville Road gets £266,000 of pupil premium funding as about 40 per cent of its children are eligible.

Headteacher Sue Croft said: "Pupil premium funding is absolutely crucial to make sure we close the gap so that any children with disadvantage can do equally as well, if not better, than their more affluent peers.

"There is no question that in an ideal world we need more money.

"For some students you need a huge amount more.

"It is about social equality."

Ms Croft said some of her school's pupil premium money is spent on intensive one-on-one counselling with pupils, as well as cultural trips to museums and theatres.

Oxford University runs a number of initiatives to try and get more youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds to apply.

Dr Anna Caughey works for its Oxford for Oxford scheme, which is partnered with state schools in the city.

She said more funding was important but also that young people needed access to educational opportunities outside the classroom.

The scheme has given youngsters the opportunity to visit the university's museums and to learn in environments such as Magdalen College.

Dr Caughey said: "What I am working towards is creating an environment for kids to have the resources they need to get to a place where they are applying to university.

"Out of classroom learning is critical and there is a need to make sure that kind of environment is available to everyone.

"It is about changing perceptions as well and getting across the idea that Oxford University is accessible for everybody."

Pupil premium cash is in addition to the basic funding Oxfordshire schools receive, which is about £4,300 for each pupil on average.

This is much lower than some other parts of the country that get as much as £6,300.

Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for education Melinda Tilley said: "I am not sure if we need more pupil premium funding, more money is needed for all kids not just disadvantaged pupils.

"But it is very important that our disadvantaged kids are getting the help they need to catch up."