Pupil Premium & Free School Meals

Pupil Premium is extra funding provided by the Government to benefit pupils that are currently eligible, or have ever been eligible for FSM (Ever 6) as well as those who have ever been in care. Funding is also received for pupils that have a parent in H.M. Forces.

Our aim is to improve the outcomes and participation rates for this group of pupils. We aim to motivate and actively engage pupils in their own learning and progress.

Pupil Premium funding does not follow each pupil, but it is used to support school-wide change and improvements in the quality of teaching and learning specifically focused at improving the engagement and progress of students.

Reasons for the Pupil Premium

• Created to tackle ‘educational inequality’
• Allocated to schools ‘in addition’ to their budget
• Funding to tackle disadvantage, reaches the students that need it most
• A good education is the key to improving life chances

Schools are encouraged by the Department for Education to use the money to ‘narrow the gap’ in attainment between students in receipt of Free School Meals or those who are ‘Looked After’ as nationally there is a disparity between their attainment at GCSE and their peers.

Claiming for Free School Meals

From September 2026, all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will be entitled to receive a free school meal. There will be two categories of benefits-based free school meals:

Targeted FSM

Covering students who are in households in receipt on Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less. In addition to free school meals, students eligible for targeted FSM will attract pupil premium funding.

Expanded FSM

Covering students who do not fall into the above category, but who are in households receiving Universal Credit. Students who fall into this category will receive free school meals but will not attract further pupil premium funding.
Households may also be eligible if parents:

*are in receipt of support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999,

*are in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance

*Receive the guarantee element of pension credit

Households must meet the FSM criteria from the start of 2026-2027 academic year to continue receiving provision if they currently do so under the transitional protections which have been in effect since April 2018. Re-checks will occur on an annual basis to confirm that households continue to meet eligibility criteria.