Pupil Premium
What is Pupil Premium?
Pupil Premium is additional government funding provided to schools to help improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
Schools use this funding to:
- Improve attainment and progress for disadvantaged pupils and help them achieve their full potential.
- Remove barriers to learning through targeted academic, pastoral and wider support.
- Provide opportunities and support based on individual needs, using evidence about what works to improve outcomes.
Important information for families
The government has expanded the Free School Meals scheme this year to include more families receiving Universal Credit. We encourage families to read the latest information carefully, as changes to Free School Meals eligibility do not necessarily mean that a pupil will attract Pupil Premium funding.
Full information about the changes and eligibility can be found on the Department for Education website.
Who attracts Pupil Premium funding?
Funding is allocated to schools based on the number of pupils who:
- are eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) or have been eligible at some point during the previous six years (Ever 6 FSM); or
- are previously looked-after children, including children who were adopted from local authority or other state care.
Pupil Premium is not an individual budget for each eligible pupil. Schools can use the funding flexibly to support other pupils with identified needs and to fund whole-school or whole-class approaches that benefit disadvantaged pupils alongside their peers.
Schools also receive Service Pupil Premium to support children and young people from service families. This funding is intended to provide appropriate support for service pupils and is not necessarily linked to financial disadvantage.
Full details about Pupil Premium, including funding criteria and the latest information about eligibility, can be found on the Department for Education website.