Pupil Premium

Pupil Premium

What is it?

The Pupil Premium Grant is government money designed to help disadvantaged children and young people to do well at school. The funding is allocated to schools for children from Reception to Year 11 who have registered for free school meals in the last six years. It is also for children who are in care or who have parents in the Armed Forces.

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.

The Government believes that head teachers and school leaders should decide how to use the Pupil Premium. They are held accountable for the decisions they make…"

(Taken from the Department of Education Website)

For more information about Pupil Premium visit the DfE website.

What does this mean for our school?

For every child registered Orchards C of E Academy will receive a maximum of £1320 per year, per child. If you are successful, not only will it mean your child will receive a free school meal but we have an income stream that could, for example, increase the number of teaching assistants employed with the aim of providing more interventions to accelerate your child’s academic progress in English and Maths as well as interventions to develop self-confidence and social skills.

If you register for Free School Meals (even if your child does not want a school meal) it means that school will receive the extra funding. All children in reception, year 1 and year 2 are automatically entitled to a free school meal, regardless of income (Universal Infant Free School Meals), but if you are on one of the benefits shown below then we would ask you to complete the attached form as school will receive the extra funding and we can help in other areas as mentioned above.

Do you qualify?

You can register your child for Free School Meals if you get any of these benefits:

· Income Support

· Income Based Job Seekers Allowance

· Income related Employment and Support Allowance

· Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

· Guaranteed element of State Pension Credit

· Child Tax Credit without Working Tax Credit, and an annual household income of less than £16190

· Universal Credit (net income of £7,400)

No one will know you have registered and it will not affect any other benefits you are claiming.

We evaluate the impact of how we have spent the Pupil Premium Grant at the end of each academic year. At this time we will also plan how intend to spend the Pupil Premium Grant for the following academic year. At the end of each term we will complete an interim review of the impact of the Pupil Premium Grant at that point in time. Copies of these documents are available below.

If you have any questions or queries please contact the school office

Copies of the following documents can be found below;

  • Orchards C of E Academy 2019-2020 Pupil Premium Strategy Statement
  • Count me in! form to complete if you would like to register or think you are eligible
  • Information letter to parents

Tara Banks

Assistant Headteacher (Teaching and Learning)