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Pupil Premium Overview

What is Pupil Premium?
Pupil Premium was introduced by the Department for Education (DfE) in 2011, as additional funding for pupils who receive Free School Meals and are Looked After Children.

The Pupil Premium is additional funding to help schools close the attainment gap between pupils from low-income and other disadvantaged families, and their peers. If a pupil has been eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) at any point over the past 6 years or has been looked after for one day or more (Child Looked After), the school receives an amount per head within their budget. A provision is also made for pupils who have a parent in the armed services.

The Government believes that the Pupil Premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities which exist between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their more affluent peers.

In the 2023 to 2024 financial year, schools will receive £1455 for each primary aged child registered as eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years. Schools also receive £2530 for each looked after child and post looked after child at their school.

Pupil Premium at Holy Cross Primary School
Holy Cross Primary School is determined that all pupils are given the best possible chance to achieve their full potential through the highest standards of Quality First Teaching, focused support, curriculum enrichment, and pastoral care. We believe the additional provision delivered through the Pupil Premium funding should be available to all pupils within school who we know to be disadvantaged and vulnerable, irrespective of whether they are eligible for the funding. Indeed, it should be noted, that many of the pupils identified as requiring additional levels of support are not necessarily those who fulfil the FSM eligibility criteria. There is no expectation that all Pupil Premium funded pupils will receive identical support and the allocation of the budget for each pupil feeds into the whole school budget as opposed to being ring fenced. The school considers best ways to allocate Pupil Premium money annually following rigorous data analysis and the careful consideration of the needs of the pupils.

Examples of support in the past have included:

• Educational provision/resources
• Academic interventions
• Wellbeing and self-esteem building interventions
• Support with funding the cost for school trips
• Trips and activities for Pupil Premium children

PLEASE NOTE: If your child is eligible for free school meals, they may also be entitled to a sum of money paid to their school to boost their learning.

Why should you apply?
For every child that is entitled to free school meals the school receives extra funding to enhance provision and improve progress and outcomes for children. Schools are given a pupil premium for:

• Children who have qualified for free school meals at any point in the past six years. The school receives £1455 for each of these children.
• Children who are or have been looked after under local authority care for more than one day. These children are awarded a premium of £2530.
• Children from service families who receive a child pension from the Ministry of Defence. They are awarded £335.

Is your child eligibility for Pupil Premium Funding?
If a family receives any of the following, you can apply for Free School Meals. (You still need to do this even though children are currently entitled to Free School Meals throughout Reception and Key Stage 1 - they only get the Pupil Premium Funding if your Free School Meals application is successful.)

• 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 - 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 be entitled to Pupil Premium Funding if they:

• are currently looked after in the care of an English local authority
• have been adopted from a local authority in England or Wales

Your child may also be entitled to Service Pupil Premium
The Department for Education (DfE) introduced the Service pupil premium (SPP) in April 2011 in recognition of the specific challenges children from service families face and as part of the commitment to delivering the armed forces covenant. Service pupil premium is additional funding for schools with pupils who have parents serving in the armed forces. It has been combined into pupil premium payments to make it easier for schools to manage their spending. Your child may also be entitled to SPP if they meet one of the following criteria:

• one of their parents is serving in the regular armed forces (including pupils with a parent who is on full commitment as part of the full time reserve service). This includes pupils with a parent who is in the armed forces of another nation and is stationed in England
• they have been registered as a ‘service child’ on a school census in the past 6 years, see note on the DfE’s ever 6 service child measure
• one of their parents died whilst serving in the armed forces and the pupil receives a pension under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or the War Pensions Scheme

Service parents need to make the school aware of their status by talking to the school office.

How to apply:

• Registering is really quick and easy – you can apply online at www.swindon.gov.uk/schoolmeals and get an immediate answer. If you are eligible, your child’s school will be notified within 5 working days.
• If you want your child to have a free, healthy meal at lunchtime that’s great – they will get the free meal, saving you more than £350 a year.
• If you don’t want your child to have the free school meals, they can continue as normal – as long as you qualify and are registered, you still get discounts for some educational activities from the £1,455 extra the school receives.
• If you have any problems with applying for this support, please contact our school office on 01793 527679
• No one will know you have registered and it will not affect any other benefits you are claiming.

Transferring to secondary school
If your child is currently receiving free school meals at their primary school and transferring to secondary school in September, you do not need to reapply. Entitlement will transfer automatically to their new school unless your financial circumstances change; if so you will be notified if they are no longer entitled.

Apply HERE now for Free School Meals
If you think you may be eligible for Pupil Premium funding and would like further advice, please contact the school office for more advice.

Pupil Premium Grant

Click here for information on Pupil Premium Funding

Strategy Statements
PPG Strategy Statement 2024-27
PPG Strategy Statement 2023-24
PPG Strategy Statement 2022-23

Financial Statements
PPG Grant Expenditure 2023-24
PPG Grant Expenditure 2022-23
PPG Grant Expenditure Report 2021-22
PPG Grant Expenditure Report 2020-21
PPG Grant Expenditure Report 2019-20
PPG Grant Expenditure Report 2018-19