The Pupil Premium is additional funding given to schools so that we can support our disadvantaged pupils and close the attainment gap between them and their peers. It is evident that children from disadvantaged backgrounds generally face extra challenges in reaching their potential at school and often do not perform as well as their peers. The pupil premium grant is designed to allow schools to help disadvantaged pupils by providing support and improving their progress, as well as the exam results they achieve.
Once a year we provide the Department for Education with information that we hold about our pupils in the January census return and allocations of pupil premium funding are made accordingly for specific pupils. We then ensure the money is spent on those same pupils over the course of the school year.
The most common reason a pupil receives Pupil Premium funding at our school is because a parent is registered as receiving a benefit that entitles them to free school meals. This is not the same as receiving a free school meal as your child is in KS1.
Free school meal / pupil premium funding now works as:
All Reception and Key Stage One children will receive a free school meal under the UIFSM (Universal Infant Free School Meals) Scheme. Parents need to apply for pupil premium if they believe they qualify for this.
In Key Stage Two, parents need to apply for free school meals and pupil premium if they believe they qualify for this.
Children of armed service personnel are also eligible. Service children are children and young people from families where one or more parents is currently in the British armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Pupils attract the premium if they meet the following criteria:
one of their parents is serving in the regular armed forces
one of their parents served in the regular armed forces in the last 3 years
one of their parents died while serving in the armed forces and the pupil is in receipt of a pension under the Armed
Children who have been adopted from care or have left care as well as children who are looked after by the local authority are also eligible.
If you think your child is eligible for Pupil Premium, please contact the school office. Staff within our offices and our Pupil Premium Lead will help parents understand if they qualify and will support them with filling out forms if required.