Pupil
premium

What is the Pupil Premium Grant?

The Pupil Premium is a government initiative introduced in April 2011. It targets additional funding for disadvantaged children in the following categories:

• Students who are, or who have been previously (in last 6 years), eligible for free school meals (FSM)
• Looked After Children (LAC) (sometimes referred to as Children in Care – CiC); children previously looked after by a local authority or other state care, referred to as Pupil Premium + (PP+)
• Children and young people with parents in the regular armed forces, referred to as service pupil premium (SPP)

Pupil premium is not a personal budget for individual students; it does not have to solely benefit students who meet the funding criteria. It can also be used to support:

• Other students with identified needs, such as those who have or have had a social worker, or who act as a carer
• Whole class interventions which will also benefit non-disadvantaged students

PP+ for LAC/CiC

PP+ grants are allocated by the Virtual School of the local authority in which the child was placed into care. It is usually a requirement that schools allocate their PP+ spend against targets on the student’s Personal Education Plan (PEP). This can be up to £600 per term. Exceptional funding in excess of this can also be requested.

• Norfolk Virtual School PP+ Guidance
• Suffolk Virtual School PP+ Guidance

What barriers do students eligible for the Pupil Premium Grant face?

The barriers and challenges disadvantaged students face are complex and varied. However, we have identified several barriers that we believe are particularly relevant to our disadvantaged children:

• Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) is identified as their primary need on their EHCP, alongside other identified special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Have experienced trauma/adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
• Are a looked-after child or have previously been in care
• Have a social worker, family support worker and/or other external agencies supporting them and their families
• And, due to their identified needs and experiences, which for a number of our students includes school exclusions and/or inconsistent school provision prior to joining Future Education, there are significant gaps in their development, learning, and knowledge of the wider world around them

Due to our high percentage of students eligible for Pupil Premium and guidance that allows for this funding to also benefit ‘non-disadvantaged’ students, we allocate our Pupil Premium Grant to resources with the aim of supporting the development of our students’ wellbeing and their academic progress and attainment across our whole school cohort.

Where students are eligible for PP+ funding, this additional funding will only be allocated to the provision and/or resources identified specifically for them through their PEP.

How do we decide how to spend the Pupil Premium Grant?

In deciding how to use our Pupil Premium Grant, we draw upon the following sources: 

• Education Endowment Foundation Guide to the Pupil Premium
• Promoting the education of looked-after children and previously looked-after children – DfE Statutory guidance
• Support from the local authority Virtual Schools
• Our professional experience of what works best and the guidance from external professionals working within SEND/LAC(CiC) support
• Our expert knowledge of our school’s context

Please see our Pupil Premium and SEND Strategy for further information about the impact of Pupil Premium funding on our school.

Currently, 64% of our students are eligible for Free School Meals and therefore Pupil Premium funding for the school.

How do I know if my child is eligible for Free School Meals?

If you are unsure if your child(ren) are eligible and would like to apply for Free School Meals, please visit Free school meals – Norfolk County Council, or contact the school for further support and guidance.