<p><p>Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have proposed introducing a 'pupil premium' in England, with the aim of narrowing the educational achievement gap between rich and poor pupils by attaching greater school funding to those from disadvantaged backgrounds. </p><p>In "The pupil premium: assessing the options", IFS researchers assess the rationale for a pupil premium and offer an empirical analysis of how such a scheme might operate in practice and affect school finances. </p></p>