Additional funding paid to schools with disadvantaged pupils is increasingly being used to cover funding cuts elsewhere, a new survey has found.

The Sutton Trust survey showed that although the number of teachers saying their main priority for their pupil premium funding is offsetting budget cuts remains a minority, it has tripled in the past year, going from 2% to 6%.

Furthermore, 20% of the 1,607 teachers surveyed said they did not know what their main priority for pupil premium funding was.

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Sir Peter Lampl, chair of the Sutton Trust, said: “It is worrying that a growing number of schools feel they have to use funding for disadvantaged pupils to offset budget cuts.

“The pupil premium is a key lever for raising the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and it’s vital that it continues to be focused on their education.”

Read the full report here.