Pupil Premium
The Pupil Premium is an allocation of additional funding provided to schools to support specific groups of children who are vulnerable to possible underachievement. These include pupils who are entitled to free school meals, adopted children and those looked after by the local authority. The intended effect of this funding is to accelerate progress and raise achievement. It was first introduced in the academic year 2011/2012, and since then the Government has decided that eligibility for the Pupil Premium will be extended to pupils who have been eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last 6 years.
The Pupil Premium is allocated to schools via the local authority funding systems and is clearly identifiable. It is for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility.
Free School Meals
We would wish to encourage all families who feel they may be eligible for Free School Meals, to claim them, as not only does it support you in the health and care of your child, but it also supports their learning in school. For further information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals or ask to speak to the school office. All matters regarding Free School Meals and the use of Pupil Premium funds are treated with discretion and in confidence.
Pupil Premium Strategy
All schools are obliged to publish a statement outlining how they intend to use the funding they receive through Pupil Premium. It is important that the school identifies common challenges that are typically faced by pupils eligible for Pupil Premium and devises a strategy to address these challenges drawing on a range of evidence. Often this strategy will take an extended time to deliver, and our strategy statement assumes that the impact of some activities will take three years to be fully realised.
From September 2021 schools are required to use the recovery premium, a one-off payment to assist schools in delivering education recovery following Covid-19 closures, and to report how this is being used alongside Pupil Premium within the strategy statement. This must be published using the Department for Education template, and must be reviewed annually before 31st December.
