The Pupil Premium is a grant given to schools to support the progress of children that are more likely to underachieve. Children who are eligible are Looked After children, Services children, and those who receive Free School Meals (FSM).
Pupil Premium is a fixed amount of money for schools per pupil based on the number of pupils registered over a rolling six year period.
When making decisions about using Pupil Premium funding, it is important to consider the specific needs of the children who are eligible and the context of the school.
Changes to Pupil Premium Funding
The Government has announced changes to how Pupil Premium funding will be allocated in the future. Rather than using eligibility for Free School Meals at any point in the last six years, funding will increasingly be linked to families who are currently eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals.
While these changes are intended to direct funding towards children with the greatest levels of disadvantage, schools nationally have raised concerns that some pupils who would previously have attracted funding may no longer do so.
At Orchard Meadow, we remain fully committed to supporting all pupils who may face barriers to learning, regardless of whether they attract Pupil Premium funding. We will continue to identify children's needs carefully and use our resources in the most effective way possible to ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed.
We will monitor the impact of these national changes closely and will continue to prioritise high-quality teaching, attendance support, wellbeing provision and targeted interventions for children who need additional help.
This means that, although the way funding is calculated may change, our commitment to ensuring that every child receives the support they need remains unchanged.