Pupil Premium and Recovery Premium
Information
The Government believes that the Pupil Premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most. It is for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium, allocated to schools per FSM pupil, and those who have been eliglible for FSM over the past six years (known as 'Ever 6 FSM') is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility.
Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit; using pupil premium funding to improve teaching quality is the most effective way to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and, by doing so, schools will inevitably benefit non-eligible pupils as well. However, they will be held accountable for how they have used the additional funding to support pupils from low-income families. New measures are included in the performance tables that will capture the achievement of those deprived pupils covered by the Pupil Premium.
The Pupil Premium is allocated to children from low-income families who are currently known to be eligible for FSM in both mainstream and non-mainstream settings and children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months.
Funding
The level of the premium for 2024/2025 is £1480. The level of the premium for Looked after children is £2570. A £340 premium has also been introduced for children whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces. This service premium is designed to address the emotional and social well-being of these pupils.
Eligibility for Free School Meals
You may qualify if you are a parent, guardian or carer and receive one of the following:
- Income Support (IS) or you are a pupil receiving the benefit in your own right
- Income Based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; or
- Child Tax Credit (but not Working Tax Credit) and have an annual income (as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
- The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
- Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit
- Children who get any of the above benefits in their own right (ie they get benefits payments directly, instead of through a parent or guardian) can also get free school meals.
More information can be found on the Cheshire West and Chester website.
If your child does not have Free School Meals but may be eligible because of your family’s income level, please contact the office (in confidence) to register them. Even if you do not wish them to have the meals, this would mean the school could still claim Pupil Premium Funding that may be used to help your child.
Pupil Premium Policy and Strategy
Our Pupil Premium Strategy details how we are spending our allocation (Pupil Premium and Recovery premium) to address barriers to learning and the rationale behind our decisions.
The progress and attainment of children who are entitled to FSM will be measured and evaluated each term. Evaluation will focus on academic gains together with how pupils's self confidence has developed as a consequence of these interventions.
The designated lead person for Pupil Premium funding is Mrs Fairman (SENDCo).
The designated governor for Pupil Premium funding is Mr J. McConnell.