Pupil Premium
What is Pupil Premium Funding?
The Pupil Premium Grant is a sum of money the school receives from the Department for Education (DFE) for each pupil who is either in receipt of Free School Meals (FSM) or is a Looked After Child (LAC).
Nationally the statistics show that these pupils achieve less well than other children. The aim of the Pupil Premium money is to try to close that attainment gap.
A service premium has been introduced for children whose parents are serving in the armed forces.
In some reports the government use the term ‘disadvantaged’ to describe this group. This refers to the fact that statistically this group is the most likely to underachieve in comparison to outcomes for children who do not fall into this group.
How much money do schools receive?
Looked after children: £2300
Free school meals: £1320
Children of service personnel: £300
All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 automatically receive free school meals, however if you receive certain benefits and register for free school meals, the school will then receive the grant. If you do not register for free school meals, the school will not receive the grant to help provide support for your child. The Pupil Premium grant is allocated to schools to work with pupils who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years.
How do I apply for the grant?
If you think that your child may qualify for free school meals, please come and ask for advice at the school office and we will be pleased to help you.
Information about the Service Pupil Premium is here.
Information about eligibility for the Pupil Premium Grant for looked after children is here.
Where can I find information on how the school uses the Pupil Premium Grant?
Every year our schools publish a copy of their Pupil Premium Statement of Impact for the previous year and an Action Plan for Spending for the upcoming year. These documents can be found at the bottom of this page.
The documents detail how the grant was spent to support the academic achievements and health and wellbeing of pupils over the previous year. It also states the amount of money the schools will receive for the coming year and how the schools intend to spend it.
YCST Shared Principles for Pupil Premium
At Yorkshire Causeway Schools Trust, we believe in meeting the needs of all pupils, including pupils in receipt of the pupil premium grant with a school commitment to high quality learning. The values of the trust informs this approach.
“Where everyone is valued and respected, where we share commitment to education that is ambitious, setting the highest expectations and where integrity is the foundation” (YCST vision statement)
Core Principles:
• High quality, inclusive teaching and learning for all
• Provision that supports an improvement in well-being and/or an increase in academic attainment for all
“Pupils with better health and wellbeing are likely to achieve better academically.” (The link between pupil health and well-being and attainment: Public Health England)
• Addressing barriers to learning and the characteristics of less successful learners
• Monitoring and evaluation
• A commitment to working collaboratively to provide challenge and support
These principles and based on current research evidence and are understood by all members of the school community. Whilst these are the shared principles of the trust, we recognise the individual settings and therefore needs of each of our school are different.
“Evidence shows that more good teaching for all pupils will especially benefit the most disadvantaged.” Sir Kevan Collins (Chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation)
Our core principles are under-pinned by the following procedures:
• Strategic reviews with peer partners – every 3 years
• Case studies
• Regular communications with parents
• On-going school based monitoring and evaluation
• Class provision maps
• Reports to Governors
• Annual Pupil Premium Report *
*While we are required to post a report detailing the impact of how we have allocated funds from the Pupil Premium Grant, we do not conduct analysis on pupil premium students as a group, since our children do not always share similar needs. Data collected on such small groups is not statistically reliable.
“Effective schools also recognise that disadvantaged pupils are not a homogenous group and employ targeted approaches for groups and individuals facing particular barriers.”
(Effective pupil premium reviews 2016: Teaching School Council)
