Information about Pupil Premium
Introduced in 2011, the pupil premium is a sum of money given to schools each year by the Government to improve the attainment of disadvantaged children.
This is based on research showing that children from low income families perform less well at school than their peers. Often, children who are entitled to pupil premium face challenges such as poor language and communication skills, lack of confidence and issues with attendance and punctuality. The pupil premium is intended to directly benefit the children who are eligible, helping to narrow the gap between them and their classmates.
The Secretary of State for Education lays down the following terms and conditions on which assistance is given in relation to the pupil premium grant (PPG) payable to schools and local authorities for the financial year beginning 1 April 2018. PPG provides funding for two policies:
The grant may be spent in the following ways:
The grant does not have to be completely spent by schools in the financial year; some or all of it may be carried forward to future financial years.
Is your child eligible?
Schools are given a pupil premium for:
Prior to April 2018, children qualified for free school meals – and accordingly pupil premium – if you received any of the following benefits:
These benefits have now been rolled into a single benefit, called Universal Credit. From April 2018, free school meals and pupil premium will only be allocated to pupils with a family income under £7400 (net) per year.
Since September 2014, all children in Reception and Years 1 and 2 have qualified for free school meals, regardless of their family income, but only the children who would qualify for free meals under the above income-based criteria will receive the pupil premium.
If your child qualifies for free school meals, it’s important that you tell their school – even if they take a packed lunch – as this enables them to claim pupil premium. Please visit https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/school-pupil-support/apply-free-school-meals