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Lons Infant School
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Pupil Premium
What is Pupil Premium?
Introduced in 2011, the pupil premium is a sum of money given to schools each year by the Government to improve the attainment of disadvantaged children. This is based on research showing that children from low income families perform less well at school than their peers.
Often, children who are entitled to pupil premium face challenges such as poor language and communication skills, lack of confidence and issues with attendance and punctuality. The pupil premium is intended to directly benefit the children who are eligible, helping to narrow the gap between them and their classmates.
Is my child eligible for Pupil Premium?
Primary schools are given a pupil premium for:
- Children in Reception to Year 6 who are currently entitled to free school meals based on their family income and are in receipt of certain benefits;
- Children in Reception to Year 6 who were previously entitled to benefits-based free school meals, even if they're no longer eligible;
- Children in care;
- Children previously in care who have been adopted, or who have a special guardianship order, a child arrangements order or a residence order;
- Children recorded as being from service families.
All children who currently qualify for free school meals based on their family circumstances are entitled to Pupil Premium. This applies if you receive any of the following benefits:
- Universal credit (provided you have a net income of £7400 or less);
- Income support;
- Income-based jobseekers’ allowance;
- Income-related employment and support allowance;
- Support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999;
- The guaranteed element of state pension credit;
- Child tax credit, provided that you are not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross income of £16,190 or less.
Children who are or have been in care, and children who have a parent who is or was in the armed forces, are also entitled to Pupil Premium.
In addition, pupils who have qualified for free school meals on the above grounds in the past, but are no longer eligible, continue to receive pupil premium for the next six years.
Schools are responsible for recording the children who are eligible for pupil premium in their annual school census - you don't have to do anything yourself, other than making sure you return any paperwork that relates to the benefits you receive or your child's entitlement to free school meals.
If your child qualifies for free school meals or has at any point in the past six years, it’s important that you tell their school – even if they're in Reception or KS1 and receive universal school meals for infant pupils, or are in KS2 and take a packed lunch – as this enables them to claim pupil premium.
How do I apply?
If you feel your child is eligible to be in receipt of Pupil Premium, please click on the link below to be taken through the application process on the Derbyshire County Council website.
How is the money spent?
Schools can choose how to spend their pupil premium money, as they are best placed to identify what would be of most benefit to the children who are eligible. However they are required to publish how it is spent online.