What is Pupil premium?

Introduced in 2011, the pupil premium is a sum of money given to schools each year by the Government to improve the attainment of disadvantaged children.

This is based on research showing that children from low-income families perform less well at school than their peers. Often, children who are entitled to pupil premium face challenges such as poor language and communication skills, less family support, lack of confidence and issues with attendance and punctuality. The pupil premium is intended to directly benefit the children who are eligible, helping to narrow the gap between them and their classmates.

Is your child eligible?

Schools are given a pupil premium for:
Children who have qualified for free school meals at any point in the past six years. The school receives £1300 for each of these children. Children who have been looked after under local authority care for more than one day. These children are awarded a premium of £1900.

Can you influence how your child’s Pupil Premium is spent?

There is no obligation for schools to consult about how they use the money claimed for your child, although we would welcome hearing from you if you have suggested ideas. However, all schools do have to show they are using their pupil premium fund appropriately. This is measured through Ofsted inspections and annual performance tables showing the progress made by children who are eligible for pupil premium.

In addition, schools have to publish details online, including how much money they have been allocated, how they intend to spend it, how they spent their previous year’s allocation and how it made a difference to the attainment of disadvantaged pupils

How to claim your child’s Pupil Premium

Your child may be eligible for free school meals – and accordingly pupil premium – if you receive any of the following benefits:
Income support,  Income-based jobseekers’ allowance ,Income-related employment and support allowance, Support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 ,The guaranteed element of state pension credit, Child tax credit, provided that you are not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross income of £16,190 or less Universal credit

Your child’s school will be able to tell you what you need to do to register your child as eligible.

From September 2014, all children in Reception and Years 1 and 2 will qualify for free school meals, regardless of their family income, but only the children who would have qualified for free meals under the above income-based criteria will receive the pupil premium.

If your child qualifies for free school meals, it’s important that you tell their school – even if they take a packed lunch – as this enables them to claim pupil premium