Pupil Premium

The Pupil Premium Grant is additional funding given to schools and academies to:

raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers.
support children and young people with parents in the regular armed forces.

It was first introduced in April 2011. Since then the amount schools and academies receive has increased. Schools and academies will receive funding based on the number of pupils who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years (Ever6).

The Department for Education has clear expectations how the Pupil Premium Grant may be spent:

for the purposes of the school, ie, for the educational benefit of pupils registered at that school;
for the benefit of pupils registered at other maintained schools or academies;
on community facilities, eg, services whose provision furthers any charitable purpose for the benefit of pupils at the school or their families, or people who live or work in the locality in which the school is situated.

The grant does not have to be completely spent by schools in the financial year beginning 1 April; some or all of it may be carried forward to future financial years.