The Pupil Premium Grant is awarded to schools based on the number of pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) and pupils who have been eligible for FSM in the last 6 years, known as ‘Ever 6 FSM’.
Pupil Premium funding is designed to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in schools in England. Evidence shows that disadvantaged children generally face additional challenges in reaching their potential at school and often do not perform as well as other pupils.
The Department for Education acknowledge that school leaders are best placed to assess their pupils’ needs and use the funding to improve attainment, drawing on evidence of effective practice. It is up to school leaders to decide how to spend the Pupil Premium.
Evidence suggests that Pupil Premium spending is most effective when schools use a tiered approach, targeting spending across 3 areas, with a particular focus on teaching.
- Teaching
- Targeted academic support
- Wider approaches