Pupil Premium

What is the Pupil Premium?

The Pupil Premium is a grant given to schools to help them close the attainment gap that exists between advantaged and disadvantaged children.  It was launched to address the growing body of evidence showing that children who are eligible for Pupil Premium generally face extra challenges in reaching their potential in school, and often don’t perform as well academically as their peers.  It is important to understand that the Pupil Premium is not based on ability.  Research shows that the most academically able pupils who are eligible for Pupil Premium are most at risk of under-performing. Often, children who are entitled to Pupil Premium face challenges such as poor language and communication skills, lack of confidence and issues with attendance and punctuality. The Pupil Premium funding is intended to directly benefit the children who are eligible, helping to narrow the gap between them and their classmates.

Who is eligible?

Schools receive Pupil Premium funding based on the number of looked after children (LAC) and children who receive Free School Meals (FSM).  

Free school meals:  Schools get £1,455 for every primary age pupil who claims free school meals, or who has claimed free school meals in the last 6 years.  You can claim free school meals if you receive any of the following support:

• Universal credit (provided you have a net income of £7400 or less)
• Income support
• Income-based jobseekers’ allowance
• Income-related employment and support allowance
• Support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of state pension credit
• Child tax credit, provided that you are not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross income of £16,190 or less

Looked after and previously looked after children:  Schools get £2,530 for every pupil who has left local authority care through adoption, a special guardianship order or child arrangements order.  Local authorities get the same amount for each child they are looking after; they must work with the school to decide how the money is used to support the child’s personal education plan.

Schools are responsible for recording the children who are eligible for pupil premium in their annual school census – you don’t have to do anything yourself, other than making sure you return any paperwork that relates to the benefits you receive or your child’s entitlement to free school meals.

If your child qualifies for free school meals or has at any point in the past six years, it’s important that you tell us – even if they have universal school meals for infant pupils, or bring a packed lunch – as this enables us to claim Pupil Premium.

Please read the information below which gives details of our Pupil Premium grant and how we allocate the funding.