What is Pupil Premium?

The Pupil Premium is additional funding given to publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers. (www.gov.uk)

The Government believes that the Pupil Premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current inequalities between children, ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches pupils who need it most. The Pupil Premium funding that is received by the school annually is used in a variety of ways to improve pupil attainment and to help overcome any barriers to learning. The Pupil Premium is allocated for children who are entitled to Free School Meals (FSM), are ‘Children Looked After’ or have parents in the Armed Services.

The Pupil Premium strategy for the current school year (2023-24) can be viewed or downloaded by clicking on the link below.

Pupil Premium funding is allocated by the Government and targeted at pupils who are disadvantaged.

Pupil Premium funding is allocated to support pupils who are:

  • in receipt of Free School Meals

  • have been in receipt of Free School Meals at some time in the past 6 years

  • are looked after by the Local Authority

  • have been adopted from care or who left local authority care on a special guardianship order of child arrangements order

There is also a premium for children whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces or who have served in the armed forces at any time during the last 6 years. This service premium is designed to address the emotional and social well-being of these pupils.

Nationally, statistics show that there is a gap between the attainment of pupils have been eligible for Free School Meals and those who have not. Nationally, children in these groups make slower progress and attain at lower levels than their peers. The government believes that allocating additional funds to schools, targeted at these pupils, will help to improve the attainment of those who fall behind. The Department for Education website says that the government believes that the Pupil Premium is “the best way to address current underlying inequalities between children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) and their wealthier peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most.”

If your child is eligible for free school meals, please ensure that you have claimed your entitlement.

The Pupil Premium strategy for the current school year (2020-21) can be viewed or downloaded by clicking on the link below together with a review of the previous school year’s Pupil Premium Strategy.