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What is the Pupil Premium?

The pupil premium is additional funding for publicly funded schools in England.It’s designed to help disadvantaged pupils of all abilities perform better, and close the gap between them and their peers.

The pupil premium was introduced in April 2011 and is allocated to schools to work with pupils who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years (known as ‘Ever 6 FSM’).

Schools also receive funding for children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months, and children of service personnel.

In the 2021- 2022  Financial Year

  • £1,345 per pupil of primary-school age. This funding is designed to allow schools to help disadvantaged pupils by improving their progress and the exam results they achieve. Research shows that the most academically able pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are most at risk of under-performing. Schools should focus on these pupils just as much as pupils with low results.
  • £2,345 per pupil for children who have ceased to be looked after by a local authority in England and Wales because of adoption, a special guardianship order, a child arrangements order or a residence order.
  • £310 per pupil for those pupils in year groups reception to year 11 recorded as Ever 6 service child or in receipt of a child pension from the Ministry of Defence. This funding is for pastoral support.

As a school we have been allocated   £62.120.00

 Guidance on the Use of the Pupil Premium

School leaders are best-placed to assess their pupils’ needs and use funding to improve attainment. It is up to school leaders to decide how to spend the pupil premium.

Tiered approach

Evidence suggests that pupil premium spending is most effective when schools use a tiered approach, targeting spending across the following 3 areas below but focusing on teaching quality - investing in learning and development for teachers..

  • Teaching

Schools arrange training and professional development for all their staff to improve the impact of teaching and learning for pupils.

  • Academic support

Schools should decide on the main issues stopping their pupils from succeeding at school and use the pupil premium to buy extra help.

  • Wider approaches

This may include non-academic use of the pupil premium such as:

  • school breakfast clubs
  • music lessons for disadvantaged pupils
  • help with the cost of educational trips or visits
  • speech and language therapy

Schools may find using the pupil premium in this way helps to:

  • increase pupils’ confidence and resilience
  • encourage pupils to be more aspirational
  • benefit non-eligible pupils

Non-eligible pupils

Schools can spend their pupil premium on pupils who do not meet the eligibility criteria but need extra support. eg 

  • are in contact with a social worker
  • used to be in contact with a social worker
  • are acting as a carer

Accountability 

Schools  must be transparent about how they spend their pupil premium so:

  • parents, guardians can understand your pupil premium strategy
  • governing bodies can see evidence-based practice so they can consider the rationale behind all pupil premium-related decisions
  • Schools  should follow their school’s audit and accounting procedures about pupil premium spending.
  • Neither DfE nor Ofsted will ask  for itemised records of how schools are using their pupil premium.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium/pupil-premium