What is the Pupil Premium Grant?

The Pupil Premium was first introduced in April 2011. It is funding allocated to schools for children from low-income families who are known to be eligible for free school meals in both mainstream and non-mainstream settings, and children who had been looked after continuously for more than six months. This has now been extended to all children who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they feel is appropriate. However, they are responsible for how they use the additional funding to support pupils from low-income families and the other target groups. Those from disadvantaged backgrounds often do not do as well as their more advantaged peers and the funds are aimed at helping to bridge the gap. This money is allocated to initiatives to ensure pupils reach their full potential, both academically and socially.

Key principles for the use of Pupil Premium funding

• As a school we use the funding to ensure personalised support that meets the needs of all disadvantaged pupils working at all levels and so enabling them to achieve their potential. 
• All pupils have the opportunity to fully access a rich and varied curriculum alongside their peers
• Funding is used in a variety of contexts including: attendance, mental health and well-being, behaviour, subject specific targeted support, professional training for staff and curriculum enrichment.

How is this successfully achieved?

• Assessment analysis systems used across the school identify where pupils are underachieving and why so appropriate levels of support can be swiftly put in place.
• The school makes use of available evidence both from within school and including research based evidence such as EEF, when allocating funding that is most likely to have greatest impact for our pupils.
• Achievement data is regularly and robustly used to monitor whether intervention programmes are working effectively.

How do we spend the Pupil Premium money?

• How do we spend the Pupil Premium money?
• Quality First Teaching is of prime importance in ensuring pupils are achieving their full potential and so developing an inclusive classroom and providing high quality teaching that focuses on the needs of individual pupils is essential.
• The funding enables a variety of intervention programmes to be implemented which are fully accessible to Pupil Premium children. These interventions include: maths and reading intervention, a range of pastoral and specialised programmes that are individualised to meet the needs of the pupils. The impact is constantly measured and reviewed through robust assessment methods on an ‘assess, plan, do, review’ cycle.
• Within school, there is a specialist music teacher who provides additional music provision, giving pupils the opportunity to work towards music awards.
• An Educational Psychologist is available to work with children on an individual basis and to also provide training and support for teaching staff to enable them to effectively meet the individual social and emotional needs of pupils.
• A Pastoral team works across the school and is available to provide social and emotional support, working with both the pupil and their families to develop a supportive network that benefits the child.
• An Attendance Officer works with families to ensure their children attend school regularly and so providing them with the best opportunities to achieve.
• A range of extra-curricular clubs are available and funded through the grant
• If your child is going on a school trip or a residential with school, funding towards this will be available if you are in receipt of FSM
• Breakfast Club support.
• Free milk

Further details of how the Pupil Premium Grant maximise opportunities for pupils is detailed in the Pupil Premium Strategy below.

Do I qualify for Pupil Premium Grant?

If you receive any of the following payments, your child may be entitled to receive free school meals as well as £1320 of support towards your child’s progress and attainment in school.

• Income support
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (providing you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on-paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

How can I apply for Free School Meals and Pupil Premium Grant?

You can download an application form below or, alternatively, you can collect a form from the school office.