What is the Pupil Premium?

The Pupil Premium is additional funding given to schools so that they can support specific groups of pupils who may be at risk of underachievement.

Nationally there is a gap in attainment between children who are eligible for Free School Meals and their peers. The main purpose of the Pupil Premium is to close this gap by raising the achievement and aspirations of disadvantaged groups of children. The Pupil Premium is intended to help schools to provide targeted support to improve the life chances of these children so that they can reach their full potential.

Who is eligible for the Pupil Premium?

The Pupil Premium is allocated to schools for pupils who are known to be eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) or who have been eligible at any point in the past 6 years. It is also allocated for children who have been looked after by the local authority continuously for more than 6 months as well as children who have been adopted.

A smaller grant is also allocated for children whose parents serve in the armed forces. Nationally, this group of children is not under-achieving compared to their peers but the premium enables schools to provide extra support including pastoral support where required. Children whose parents have left the Services since April 2011 (when the Premium was first introduced) will still be eligible, up to a maximum of six years.

Who is entitled to Free School Meals?

If your child is eligible for free school meals, it is worth registering them even if they are not going to have the school lunch. It will have a direct impact on the funding and will maximize the support we can provide. Your child may be entitled to Free School Meals, if you are entitled to receive any of the following:

From April 2015, the threshold figure which forms part of the tax credit free school meal eligibility category is £16,190.

Pupils whose parents/carers receive the following support payments are entitled to free school meals (assuming the parent does not receive Working Tax Credit).

Under the current criteria, children who receive, or whose parents receive one or more of the following support payments are entitled to receive free school meals and eligible for two year old funding.

• Income-based and contribution-based Jobseekers Allowance or ESA on an equal basis
• Income Support
• Income Based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-related employment and support allowance
• Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income, as assessed by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, that does not exceed £16,190
• Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit
• Where a parent is entitled to Working Tax Credit run-on (the payment someone receives for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit).
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
• Working Tax Credit, provided they have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190 per year (eligible for two Year Old Funding only)
• Universal Credit

• Department for Education Articles and advice for children and young people.