Pupil Premium is additional funding transferred directly from the Department for Education into schools’ budgets to provide support for disadvantaged children i.e. those currently eligible for free school meals (FSM), or have been for the last six years, children who are looked after (i.e. by fostering or adoption) and for children of service personnel. However, it is not ring-fenced to those children and can be spent in any way that the school sees fit, so long as the school is able to demonstrate that the specific needs of the FSM pupils have been addressed and how this additional – and specific – funding, which is intended to compensate for disadvantage, is being used for this purpose.

The Pupil Premium is allocated in order that support is given to those children identified as being entitled to and in receipt of free school meals. School leaders and the Governing Body have ensured that our school is tracking the progress of pupils in receipt of free school meals (FSM) to demonstrate how effectively the school is using the Pupil Premium. 

Schools are required to publish information to parents about how all Pupil Premium funding has been used and what the impact has been on learning, attainment and pupil well-being and/or pastoral care – particularly if the child has a parent on active service with the armed forces.

It is the governors’ responsibility to ensure that Pupil Premium funding is allocated effectively to obtain best possible value for money. This is achieved by a named governor monitoring the progress of pupils receiving Pupil Premium, via book-looks, talking with staff, meetings with the Pupil Premium Co-ordinator, discreet classroom observations; all this to ensure these vulnerable pupils and keeping pace with their peers.

This introduction is taken from the full 2017-18 Pupil Premium Strategy for Shorne School. A copy of this is available via the download below. It contains full details of Pupil Premium Funding and expenditure for 2017-18 and projected expenditure for 2018-19.