What is Pupil Premium funding?

Pupil Premium was introduced by the Department for Education (DfE) in 2011 as additional funding for pupils who receive Free School Meals (FSM) or who are Looked After Children (CLA).

The Pupil Premium is additional funding to help schools diminish the attainment difference between pupils from 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 child 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 between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most.

From September 2012, the Government has required schools to publish online information about how they have used the Pupil Premium. It is for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium (allocated to schools per FSM pupil) is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility.

In the 2022-23 financial year, schools will receive £1385 for each primary aged child registered as eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years. Schools also receive £2410 for each child who is looked after by the local authority.