Pupil Premium & Free School Meals
What is Pupil Premium?
The Government provides funds to schools to help children from families with lower income or in challenging situations. This funding is called Pupil Premium.
Schools decide how the Pupil Premium is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility. Schools are held accountable for how they have used the additional funding to support children from disadvantaged families; you can read more on this on the Department for Education website.
It is really important that families complete our school's registration form because a child may be eligible for extra funding.
Our intention is that all pupils, irrespective of their background or the challenges they face, make good progress and achieve high attainment across all subject areas. The focus of our Pupil Premium strategy is to support disadvantaged pupils to achieve that goal, including progress for those who are already high attainers.
Eligibility for Pupil Premium & Free School Meals
All pupils in Reception and Years 1-2 receive free school meals. These are known as "universal free school meals". If your child is in Years 3-6, they could be eligible for free school meals if you receive any of these benefits:
- Income support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit - 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)
Children who get paid these benefits directly (instead of through a parent or guardian) can also get free school meals. Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits, and your child is both:
- Younger than the compulsory age for starting school
- In full-time education.
Check your eligibility if you believe that your child(ren) are eligible for free school meals.
Applying for Pupil Premium & Free School Meals
Our office team will be able to advise and help you with the application process. Please do ask at reception for guidance which will be given discreetly and in confidence.