In April 2011 the Government introduced the Pupil Premium. This additional funding was allocated to the school to spend on children from low-income families who were known to be eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) in both mainstream and non-mainstream settings and children who had been in Local Authority Care continuously for more than six months.
The Government believes that the Pupil Premium is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for Free School Meals and others by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the students who need it most.
Schools are given additional funding for every student on their roll who is:
- A looked after child
- OR is currently able to claim Free School Meals
- OR has claimed Free School Meals in the last 6 years.
This additional funding has been allocated to every school due to national figures which show that this group does not achieve as well as their peers. The funding is therefore to support schools to address this issue.
How must this money be used?
Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit. There is no requirement for this money to be spent on individual students simply because they fall into this category. It is expected, however, that the funding will be used to support, as necessary, students in this group and other lower-income families so that this group makes the same progress as their peers.
How much funding does the school receive?
Funding is based on the number of eligible students at the school in January and the amount is notified to us in the Spring term. It is paid in arrears.
What does the school spend the funding on?
Please see the report here.
