What is Pupil Premium?

The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011 and is additional funding that the government gives to schools for each pupil on roll where they are deemed to be disadvantaged. The money must be spent on that pupil to support their education, but it is for the school to determine how it is spent. The Department of Education website is a good source of additional information.

Who is eligible for Pupil Premium?

Grace Darling Primary School receives a Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) for each child who is currently entitled to receive Free School Meals or has been entitled over the last six years (known as Ever 6). We also receive a grant for any Looked After Children, children adopted from care, children post care or children subject to a Special Guardianship or Child Arrangements Order. A smaller amount is allocated for children whose parents work in the Armed Forces or who have left the armed forces within the last 4 years (Ever 4). We are required to publish online information about how we have used this pupil premium.

We have focused our spending in areas we have identified as being significant barriers for children who are eligible for Pupil Premium funding. We want all of our pupils who are classified as ‘disadvantaged’ to achieve as well as those from ‘non-disadvantaged’ backgrounds. However, we are also very aware that there are many of our pupils who do not currently qualify for Pupil Premium funding who also face significant disadvantage. Therefore, the bulk of our funding is targeted in areas which we know will focus on raising achievement and participation for Pupil Premium pupils, but will also help other pupils as well.

Our core aims are to:

• Improve and enhance the life chances of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding by delivering appropriately targeted support to ensure that they make good progress from their starting points and that they achieve in all areas to the best of their ability.
• Address inequalities in education for pupils from low-income families and those suffering disadvantage because of their current or previous life circumstances and, where necessary, narrow the attainment gap between these pupils and their non- disadvantaged peers.
• Address the health, well-being and social and emotional needs of those pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding for whom this support is appropriate.
• Ensure that appropriate provision is made for children who belong to disadvantaged groups, this includes ensuring that the academic and pastoral needs of socially disadvantaged pupils are adequately assessed and addressed. We do this by strategic overview and tracking undertaken by the Principal and Senior Leadership Team for both academic and pastoral care.
• In making provision for socially disadvantaged children we recognise that all pupils who are or have been eligible for the Pupil Premium Grant are not socially disadvantaged. We also recognise that not all children who are socially disadvantaged are registered to qualify for free school meals. We therefore reserve the right to support any child or group of children who the school has identified as being socially disadvantaged or vulnerable to academic failure alongside their disadvantaged peers.
• We ensure all work carried out through the Pupil Premium funding is aimed at accelerating progress and moving children forward to achieve at least age related expectations and to narrow the achievement and attainment gap (where it exists) between disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged peers.

The grant for each student is:

• FSM and Ever 6 – £1,320 for Years 5/6 or £935 for Years 7-11
• Armed Forces – £300
• Pupil Premium Plus – £2,300

You can apply for free school meals if you or your child receive any of the following:

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit, provided you/they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income of £16,190 or less
• Working Tax Credit ‘run-on’ – the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit – in England, if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

We regularly update our records to make sure we have an accurate account of each school’s population. If you are unsure if you are entitled to free school meals, we can check for you using the confidential Eligibility Checking Service. If your circumstances change then please let us know as soon as possible.

Pupil Premium Strategy 2024 – 2027 available for download below.

Grace Darling C of E Primary School Pupil Premium Strategy 2024-2027

Download the previously updated Pupil Premium Strategy 2021 – 2024