Pupil Premium
Pupil Premium is funding to improve education outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in schools in England. Evidence shows that disadvantaged children generally face additional challenges in reaching their potential at school and often do not perform as well as other pupils.
The government gives Pupil Premium funding to all schools to enhance the learning opportunities for children who are eligible for free school meals, children in care, and children of service personnel. It is for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility.
The impact of Pupil Premium funding benefits all pupils at Bearwood.
The funding is used to provide:
- Targeted support and teaching for pupils who are at risk of not making expected progress.
- Extra learning support, delivering learning support for children within the classroom environment.
- Training and professional development for teachers and teaching assistants.
- Support with ongoing school costs such as uniforms, educational visits and more.
Protection for Younger Siblings
Transitional protections are put in place on an individual child basis, not on a family basis. This means that younger children will not become entitled to free school meals simply because their older sibling is in receipt of transitional protections. Extending transitional protections to families would lead to unfairness in the system for those children without older siblings. The younger child must meet the eligibility criteria at the time the application for free school meals is made in order to be entitled to free school meals.
Schools are required to publish information about their use of the Pupil Premium on their website. Please click the links below for information reporting on our use Pupil Premium funding at Bearwood.
Is your child eligible for Pupil Premium funding?:
The following pupils may be eligible for Pupil Premium funding:
• pupils who are registered for a free school meal
• pupils who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years
• pupils who have been adopted from the English or Welsh care system
• pupils who have been placed on a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) and have been adopted
• pupils who left care under a Residence Order (RO) on or after 14 October 1991
• pupils who have been looked after by the Local Authority continuously for more than six months, children of service personnel.
Free school meal entitlement - What you need to know
Parents are reminded that if your child is in Reception or Key Stage 1, and therefore currently having free school meals under the new universal infant free school meals arrangements, this does not automatically mean that your child will receive Pupil Premium Grant benefits. You must apply for Pupil Premium eligibility for the school to receive additional funding for your child. Please call into the school office and ask to speak to someone about Pupil Premium eligibility if you think you meet the criteria.
Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
- Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit
If you think that your child may be eligible for Pupil Premium then please contact the school office or speak to Mrs Goodfellow, Deputy Headteacher.