What is Pupil Premium?

Pupil Premium is additional funding provided by the government to help schools improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils.

The funding enables schools to identify and address barriers to learning and to provide appropriate support so that disadvantaged pupils can make strong progress, achieve well and benefit fully from the opportunities available to them.

Pupil Premium funding is additional to the school’s main funding.

Who is eligible for Pupil Premium?

Pupil Premium funding is allocated according to criteria set by the Department for Education.

This includes pupils who:

• are eligible for Targeted Free School Meals (FSM), or who have been eligible for Targeted FSM during the previous six years (often referred to as Ever 6 FSM);

• are previously looked-after children, including eligible children who left local authority or other state care through adoption, a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order; or

• are looked-after children, for whom Pupil Premium funding is managed by the relevant local authority’s Virtual School Head.

There is also a Service Pupil Premium for eligible children from service families. This includes children with a parent serving in the regular Armed Forces and some children who have previously been recorded as service children. Its primary purpose is to provide pastoral support and help schools respond to the impact that deployment or family mobility may have on service children.

Free School Meals and Pupil Premium from September 2026

From the 2026–27 academic year, eligibility for free school meals has been expanded to include pupils from households receiving Universal Credit.

The government now distinguishes between Targeted FSM and Expanded FSM. Pupils who qualify for Expanded FSM only are entitled to free school meals but do not automatically attract Pupil Premium funding. Pupil Premium continues to be linked to Targeted FSM eligibility and the associated Ever 6 criteria.

Our Approach to Pupil Premium

Our key objective is to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and reduce differences in attainment and progress between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.

We have high expectations for every child. We recognise that individual pupils may experience different barriers to learning and that these barriers can change over time. Our approach therefore begins with identifying the particular needs of our pupils rather than making assumptions based on disadvantage.

We use evidence, assessment information and our knowledge of individual pupils to determine how Pupil Premium funding can have the greatest impact.

Our strategy is based around three key areas:

High-Quality Teaching

High-quality teaching is central to improving outcomes for all pupils, particularly those experiencing disadvantage. We invest in approaches that strengthen teaching and learning and ensure that pupils receive appropriate challenge, support and feedback.

Targeted Academic Support

Where additional support is required, pupils may receive carefully planned interventions, including individual or small-group support.

Interventions are selected according to identified need and are monitored to determine their impact. Assessment and feedback help pupils understand what they have achieved and what they need to do next.

Addressing Wider Barriers to Learning

We recognise that successful learning is influenced by a range of factors beyond academic teaching.

Where appropriate, Pupil Premium funding may therefore be used to address barriers such as attendance, social and emotional needs, wellbeing, access to enrichment and other circumstances that may affect a pupil’s ability to engage fully with learning.

Enrichment, Experiences and Cultural Capital

We are committed to ensuring that financial circumstances do not prevent pupils from accessing the wider opportunities available through school.

We provide pupils with opportunities to participate in enrichment activities and wider experiences that develop their confidence, interests, knowledge and skills.

Our curriculum is enhanced through carefully planned educational visits, visitors, practical learning and first-hand experiences. These opportunities help pupils make connections in their learning, broaden their knowledge and understanding of the world and develop the cultural capital that will support their future success.

Where appropriate, we also support pupils to participate in extracurricular activities and opportunities such as the Children’s University.

Measuring the Impact of Pupil Premium

We regularly evaluate the impact of our Pupil Premium strategy to ensure that funding is being used effectively and is improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

This includes considering a range of evidence, including:

• pupil attainment and progress information;

• pupil progress discussions and assessment information;

• attendance and persistent absence data;

• the impact of targeted interventions and additional support;

• pupils’ work and outcomes from book scrutiny and moderation;

• pupil voice and discussions with pupils;

• SEND support plans and progress towards identified outcomes, where appropriate;

• information and recommendations from external professionals and agencies, where relevant; 

• pupils’ participation, engagement and wider development.

We review the needs of disadvantaged pupils throughout the year and adapt provision where evidence indicates that a different approach is required.

At the end of each academic year, we evaluate the overall impact of our strategy and use our findings to inform future priorities and spending decisions.

Accountability

Our Pupil Premium strategy is reviewed regularly by school leaders and governors. We publish an updated Pupil Premium Strategy Statement in accordance with Department for Education requirements.

Our strategy explains the challenges we have identified, the intended outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, how funding is being used and how we will evaluate its impact.

Our overriding aim is to ensure that every pupil has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of background or circumstance.