Pupil Premium
What is Pupil Premium ?
The pupil premium is funding allocated to schools for the specific purpose of boosting the attainment of pupils from low-income families.
Funding is based on children who have:
registered for a free school meal at any point in the last 6 years, or
children that are in care or
adopted or
children whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces.
Why has it been introduced?
The Government believes that the Pupil Premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the 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. Whilst schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit they are required to publish online information about how they have used the Premium and the impact it is having on the school and the children it is specifically for.
How to claim for your child's Pupil Premium?
If you receive any of the following benefits, you child can claim for Free School Meals and Pupil Premium will be allocated to your child.
Universal credit (provided you have a net income of Ā£7400 or less)
Income support
Income-based jobseekersā 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 Ā£16,190 or less
Universal Credit
All the benefits above have now been rolled into a single benefit, called Universal Credit.
Universal Credit is being rolled out, with an expected completion date of March 2022. All pupils who were eligible for free school meals up to April 2018 will continue to receive free school meals during this period.
Once Universal Credit is fully rolled out, any existing claimants who no longer meet the eligibility criteria will still qualify for free school meals until the end of their current stage of education (i.e. primary or secondary).
Children who are or have been in care, and children who have a parent who is or was in the armed forces, are also entitled to pupil premium.
School Census
Schools are responsible for recording the children who are eligible for pupil premium in their annual school census. This census takes the data on the specific day and allocates the funding for that school. This funding then supports the school to provide the best education for your child.
Please talk to your child's school to discuss Pupil Premium and how to apply. Most schools are able to apply for Free School Meals themselves via a web portal. Once you have registered, it will keep the school informed if your circumstances change.
Reception and KS1
All children in Reception and KS1 are entitled to Universal School Meals. If you are entitled to any of the benefits or on Universal Credit contact your school to ensure that they can claim the extra funding for supporting your child in school.
What do schools spend Pupil Premium on ?
Schools have to declare how they have spent their money and how effective it has been in helping children progress. One of the OFSTED requirements is for all schools to publish their Pupil Premium spend on their school websites. What schools could be using the money for :
Educational trips
Supporting teacher development
Employing specialist staff
Employing extra teaching assistants
Paying for additional support - speech, language, family etc
Offer extra curricular activities
Supporting children with extra English language classes
Subsiding Breakfast Clubs to help children get into school