What is the Pupil Premium?
The Pupil Premium is extra government funding allocated to schools, based on the number of learners who:
- Have been eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) over the last 6 years (Ever 6)
- Have been in local authority care at any point
- Have a parent in the armed forces, or have been registered as a “service child” in the school census since 2011
The DfE provides schools with the freedom to use the Pupil Premium Grant as they see fit, based upon knowledge of students’ needs. Schools are held accountable for the use of this funding.
The purpose of Pupil Premium funding
Statistics show that, in England and Wales, the academic performance of students classed as “disadvantaged” has been significantly lower than those students who are not. Pupil Premium funding is intended to remove any barriers to learning, as well as enabling these students to be able to access all areas of the curriculum as well as their peers.