What is Pupil Premium?
The Government believes that the Pupil Premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most.
Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit. However, they will be held accountable for how they have used the additional funding to support pupils from low-income families. New measures will be included in the performance tables that will capture the achievement of those deprived pupils covered by the Pupil Premium.
The pupil premium for 2022 - 2023 is £1385 per pupil. Pupils are identified using Free School Meals information. The school also receives £310 per pupil for those from Services families and £2,410 for Children who are Looked After or have previously been in the care of the local authority. The funding is used to support and accelerate the learning progress of pupils who fit this criteria. Please note that Service grant reporting is now separate to the main Pupil Premium report.
How does Isle of Ely Primary School spend Pupil Premium on its children?
The Pupil Premium is funding a range of activities and interventions to support pupil progress and attainment. The main focus on this spend is on Thrive, which is an approach to develop well-being and address social emotional issues.
Pupil Premium
Who is eligible for Pupil Premium funding?
Currently, just under a 10% of pupils at Isle of Ely Primary School are both eligible and registered in this scheme, which encompasses:
- pupils currently registered for Free School Meals;
- pupils who have ever been registered for Free School Meals in the last 6 years (Ever 6 FSM);
- children who have been in care for one day or more, or are registered on the school census as having been adopted from care;
- children of service personnel.
A school's Pupil Premium allocation is based upon the number of eligible pupils a school has. However, Government research in the last couple of years has shown that around 14% of the 1.4 million children in England entitled to receive free school meals are not claiming them and, for this reason, we would encourage all of our families to check their eligibility. It is noteworthy that a child who is registered for Free School Meals does not have to have these; the fact of being registered will, however, attract additional funding for the child's school.
Are your children registered for Free School Meals?
Are you unsure whether they are eligible? Then why not ask?