Pupil Premium
What is ‘Pupil Premium’ funding?
Pupil Premium funding is an annual allocation of funds from the Government given to schools across the country. Each school’s funding allocation is calculated according to the number of pupils at the school who have been registered as eligible for ‘free school meals’ (FSM) in the last six years and for children who are ‘Looked After’ (CLA) for more than six months.
These funds are used to provide additional support and intervention for all students, but with a particular focus on those in receipt of FSM and those who are CLA. A key area where these funds are targeted is to ensure the continued personal, social and emotional progress of children as well as academic achievement.
If you think that you may qualify, please either ask for a form in the school office, or apply directly on the Somerset County Council website using this link: https://www.somerset.gov.uk/children-families-and-education/school-life/free-school-meals/
Please read the information below which gives details of our Pupil Premium Grant and how we allocate the funding.
DFE
Click here for DFE guidance regarding Pupil Premium.
2024-2025
2023 - 2024
This strategy will be reviewed termly and reported to governors and an annual review will take place each July.
2022-2023
2021 - 2022
Frequently asked questions:
What is Pupil Premium?
The Pupil Premium Grant (PPG), which is additional to main school funding, is provided to support the learning of pupils who:
- are eligible for free school meals (FSM) now
- have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years (Ever6)
- are or have been looked after in the past 3 years (CLA)
- are children of parents currently working in the armed forces (SERVICE).
It is for schools to decide how best to use the funding in order to help these children overcome barriers to learning and close any academic gaps with their peers.
What are the typical barriers to learning?
Typical barriers to learning that may be faced by vulnerable pupils in our school include:
- Low language levels when starting EYFS, leading to social communication difficulties, difficulties with reading and writing, which can also limit a child’s ability to access other areas of learning
- Complex family structures, which can lead to family stress, limiting the level of learning support at home and preventing children from flourishing
- Having additional Special Educational Needs or Disabilities, which increases the challenges for learning
- Experiencing limited or a narrow variety of learning / life opportunities outside school compared with peers
- Emotional & social needs including low self-esteem, low aspirations or a fixed mindset, which limits learning
By knowing individual children very well, speaking with parents and drawing on research identifying effective support strategies, the school aims to use the PPG to improve the academic progress and hence future life chances of vulnerable pupils.
Principles of Pupil Premium expenditure
- We ensure that teaching and learning opportunities meet the needs of all pupils
- We ensure that appropriate provision is made for pupils who belong to vulnerable groups. This includes ensuring that the needs of socially disadvantaged, children looked after, service children and children who have been adopted, are adequately assessed and addressed.
- Pupil Premium funding will be allocated following a needs analysis which will identify priority classes, groups or individuals.
- Pupil Premium funding will address a full range of needs including educational, social and emotional support and provision.
- We recognise that not all pupils who are socially disadvantaged are registered or qualify for free school meals. We reserve the right to allocate the Pupil Premium funding to support any pupil or groups of pupils the school has legitimately identified as being socially disadvantaged.
- We also recognise that not all Pupil Premium pupils will be below age-related expectations in reading, writing and math’s. Pupil Premium resources will also be used to target children working above expectations, ensuring that all pupils are making or exceeding expected progress.