What is the Pupil Premium Grant?
In April 2011, the Government introduced the Pupil Premium Grant. Pupil Premium Grant is income for schools is additional to main school funding.
Why did the Government introduce the Pupil Premium/Service Premium?
The aim of the funding is 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
- Improve the progress and attainment of Looked After Children and children who were previously looked after by a Local Authority or other State care.
- To close the attainment gap of disadvantaged pupils although we do acknowledge our responsibilities in this regard for all children who attend this school
- Support the additional emotional and social well-being of children whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces
Pupil Premium funding is available to:
- Local Authority maintained schools, including special schools, pupil referral units (PRUs) and voluntary-sector alternative provision (AP)
- Special schools not maintained by the local authority (NMSS)
- Academies and free schools, including special and AP academies
How is the Pupils Premium Grant allocated?
It is allocated to:
- Children from low-income families who are currently known to be eligible for FSM or have been at any point in the last six years. (The funding allocated is based on the January school census figures for pupils registered as eligible for FSM in reception to Year 11)
- Children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months (calculated using the looked after children data returns (SSDA903)
- Children whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces
How much is allocated per pupil?
In the 2024 to 2025 financial year, the school received the following funding for each child registered as eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years:
£1,480 for pupils in reception year to year 6
£1,050 for pupils in year 7 to year 11
Pupils who have been in Local Authority care for 1 day or more also attract £2,570 of pupil premium funding.
Funding for these pupils does not go to their school; it goes to the virtual school head (VSH) in the local authority that looks after the child. VSHs are responsible for managing pupil premium funding for looked-after children.
Schools also receive £2,570 for each pupil who has left Local Authority care because of one of the following:
- Adoption
- A special guardianship order
- A child arrangements order
- A residence order
If a pupil has been registered as eligible for free school meals and has also left local-authority care for any of the reasons above, they attract the £1,900 rate. The Service Premium is £340 per pupil.
Winchelsea’s Pupil Premium strategy is monitored throughout the academic year and is updated annually.