In April 2011, the UK Government introduced Pupil Premium, an additional grant to main school funding in order to address the underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and those who are not.
The Pupil Premium was introduced after research demonstrated that children from disadvantaged backgrounds were far less likely to get good GCSE results. Attainment statistics published in January 2014 showed that in 2013 37.9% of pupils who qualified for free school meals achieved 5 GCSEs, including English and mathematics at A* to C, compared with 64.6% of pupils who do not qualify.
Eligibility
The Pupil Premium is allocated to children from low-income families who are currently known to be
eligible for FSM in both mainstream and non-mainstream settings, and children who have
been looked after continuously for more than six months. In April 2012, eligibility for the Pupil
Premium was extended to pupils who have been eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any point in
the last 6 years (known as ‘Ever 6 FSM’). As a group, children who have been eligible for FSM at
any point in time have consistently lower educational attainment than those who have never been
eligible for FSM. A premium is also available for children whose parents are currently serving in
the armed forces, or who have served in the last 5 years.
Read here our Pupil Premium Strategy Statement 2024-2027.
Staff responsible for planning, delivery and review: Headteacher & Disadvantaged Pupil Champions.