What is Pupil Premium funding?

The pupil premium is additional funding for publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers. Secondary Schools receive £1,035 for each student registered as eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years. Schools also receive £2,530 for each pupil who has left local-authority care because of adoption, a special guardianship order, a child arrangements order, or a residence order. If a student has been registered as eligible for free school meals and has also left local-authority care for any of the reasons above, they will attract the £2,530 rate. Children who have been in local authority care for one day or more also attract £2,530 of pupil premium funding but this is delegated to the local authority virtual school. Funding is allocated per financial years and payments are received quarterly: June, September, December and March.

What are the main barriers faced by eligible students?

A range of barriers exist in supporting these students towards high academic achievement. High-quality inclusive teaching within the classroom is regarded as the most effective way to secure sustained improvements in student outcomes. Alongside this, meticulous pastoral care is necessary to assist students in overcoming social, emotional and behavioural barriers to success. Family guidance and a welfare assistance can also help to overcome social economic barriers to high achievement.

How will the impact be measured and how are schools held accountable for the use of funding?

Schools must publish details of how its pupil premium is spent and the effect this has had on the attainment of the students who attract the funding. We intend to evaluate the measures chosen through a review of student achievement data. Ofsted’s school inspections report on the attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils who attract the pupil premium. School and college performance tables also report specifically on the performance of disadvantaged pupils.

We allocated the funds, as well as extra from the school budget, in the following ways: