Pupil Premium
What is the Pupil Premium?
The Pupil Premium grant was introduced in April 2011 and is additional funding that the government gives to schools for each pupil on roll who are entitled to free school meals. The money must be spent on the pupils to support their education, but it is for the school to determine how it is spent. The Department of Education website is a good source of additional information:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/premium
Why is the Government providing the Pupil Premium?
Poverty or low income is the single most important factor in predicting a child’s future life chances, with many pupils having low attainment by the time they leave school at age 16. The Government believes that the Pupil Premium is the best way to address these underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most.
Who receives the Pupil Premium?
Pupil Premium is allocated to pupils in school year groups from Reception to Year 11 from low-income families who are registered for FSM, or who have been registered for FSM at any point in the last six years (known as ‘Ever 6’), together with children that have been in care continuously for 6 months or more.
What is the Service Premium?
The Service Premium grant is for pupils who have a parent serving in the armed services. Unlike the Pupil Premium, this grant is not solely for raising attainment but for providing additional (mainly pastoral) support.
Who receives the Service Premium?
Pupils with a parent currently serving in the armed services and supporting their family, pupils who have a parent who died in action and those whose parents have left the service since April 2011 for other reasons, including injury. To be eligible, the parent must be supporting their family, so where they are separated or divorced a pupil will not be eligible.
How will schools spend the grant?
Schools must spend the grant for the educational benefit of their eligible pupil. The grant can be spent on services that benefit pupils at the school or their families, in the locality in which the school is situated. Pupil Premium grants can be carried forward to the next financial year if all the money is not spent in the year in which it is allocated.
If you have any questions or require further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.