Pupil Premium

It is believed by the Government that a child’s future life chances are significantly impacted where poverty or low income is a factor. In order to address these needs, the Government considered that Pupil Premium funding should be made available to tackle disadvantage for those pupils in most need and therefore to reduce the inequalities between those children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers.

Pupil Premium is available for those children from reception to year 11 who are eligible for free school meals or who have been eligible for free school meals at some point within six years.  It is important to note that Pupil Premium free school meals eligibility should not be confused with the Government’s universal free school meals provision for reception, year 1 and year 2 children.  Additionally, further funding is available for those children who have been in care continuously for 6 months or more or for adopted children who were previously in care for 6 months or more prior to being adopted.  Service children are also eligible for Service Premium.

Even if your child receives free school meals as part of the universal free school meals scheme, it does not necessarily mean that you automatically qualify for Pupil Premium and therefore an application via the relevant Local Authority’s website will need to be made.  The allocation of the funding is calculated based on the financial circumstances of the applicant.

The Pupil Premium Grant for 2023-24 is £1,455 per child and Service Premium is calculated at £335 per annum.  Calculations on how much a school will receive for the year are based on the school’s January census.

It is important to note that the Pupil Premium is not ring-fenced and therefore it is up to schools to decide how the funding will be spent.  However, it must be used to improve pupils’ attainment and therefore selected approaches must be monitored in order to record impact. Further measures of appropriate use of the funding include Ofsted inspections and annual performance tables showing the progress made by children who are eligible for Pupil Premium.

Schools must report and publish annually how the money has been spent and what the impact has been regarding the achievement of pupils. A Pupil Premium Strategy for the current academic year must be displayed on the website which clearly details the following:

  • The amount of the school’s Pupil Premium allocation;
  • A summary of the main barriers to educational achievement faced by eligible pupils of the school;
  • How the Pupil Premium allocation is to be spent to address those barriers and the reasons for that approach;
  • How the school is to measure the impact and effect of its expenditure of the Pupil Premium allocation; and
  • The date of the school’s next review of its Pupil Premium strategy.

Alongside the current strategy, schools must also publish a Pupil Premium strategy for the previous academic year detailing:

  • How the pupil premium allocation was spent; and
  • The impact of that expenditure on eligible and other pupils.

If you feel that your child is eligible for the Pupil Premium Grant or would like to discuss the funding further, please contact the school office and ask to speak to the Head of School.

 

Downloads & Useful Links

Apply for Pupil Premium Online (Years R, 1-2)Apply for Free School Meals Online (Years 3-6)

Pupil Premium Uniform Letter Loders 2023-2024

Pupil Premium Strategy Statement Loders 2023-2024