Free School Meals and the Pupil Premium
For information on Free School Meals and Pupil Premium, including how to register for free school meals, please see the link at the bottom of this page.
Pupil Premium
WHAT IS PUPIL PREMIUM?
Pupil premium is funding given to schools each year, by the Government, to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged children. Evidence shows that disadvantaged children generally face additional challenges in reaching their potential at school and often do not perform as well as their peers. The pupil premium is intended to directly benefit the children who are eligible, helping to narrow the gap between them and their classmates.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR PUPIL PREMIUM?
You can check for eligibility and apply for Free School Meals using the following link: https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/link2ict
EVER 6 FSM
This is when a student has a historic FSM status. They will be classed as Ever 6 FSM for 6 years after their FSM eligibility end date. For example, if someone was FSM from 1st September 2018 until 31st October 2020, they will be Ever 6 FSM until 31st October 2026 (6 years after their FSM end date).
LOOKED-AFTER AND PREVIOUSLY LOOKED-AFTER CHILDREN
Service Premium - Pupils in state-funded schools in England attract service pupil premium funding if they meet one or more of the following criteria:
- one of their parents is serving in the regular armed forces (including pupils with a parent who is on full commitment as part of the full-time reserve service, and also pupils whose parent is serving in the armed forces of another nation and is formally stationed in England) – and they are recorded in the October school census as being a ‘service child’ they have previously been registered as a ‘service child’ in any school census in the last 6 years.
- one of their parents died while serving in the armed forces, and the pupil receives a pension under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or the War Pensions Scheme.
Secondary schools are given a pupil premium for:
- Children in Year 7 to Year 11 who are, or have ever been, entitled to free school meals based on their family income: £1,050 per pupil, per school year.
- Children in care: £2,570 per pupil, per school year.
- Children previously in care who have been adopted, or who have a special guardianship order, child arrangements order or a residence order: £2,570 per pupil, per school year.
- Children recorded as being from service families: £340 per pupil, per school year.
- How do you qualify for Pupil Premium?
Children may qualify for free school meals, and therefore pupil premium, if their parents or guardians receive any of the following benefits: - Universal credit (provided you have a net income of £7,400 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 (if you are not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross income of £16,190 or less).
HOW IS PUPIL PREMIUM USED?
Schools can decide how to use their pupil premium. There are 3 main ways in which it can used:
- high-quality teaching, such as staff professional development
- targeted academic support, such as tutoring.
- wider strategies to address non-academic barriers to success in schools, such as attendance, behaviour, and social and emotional support.
We use the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) recommendation that schools particularly focus their pupil premium on supporting high-quality teaching. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/guidance-for-teachers/using-pupil-premium
High-quality teaching remains at the heart of our approach, and we aim to ensure that all students receive the highest quality of teaching and thus are enabled to access the highest quality of learning. Part of the strategy with pupil premium funding is to ensure that all students can take advantage of the opportunities available, and this includes a focus on experiences outside the classroom.
We ensure that all students, regardless of their position, experience a curricula and events that are targeted at growing the cultural and academic opportunities for all. Overall, therefore such our aim is to ensure that pupil premium students have access to the full curriculum, can access extra-curricular provision and achieve their potential.
TRIPS AND VISITS
We financially support students with educational trips and visits.
MUSIC LESSONS
We can support students with music lessons – usually contributing 50% of the fees. These can be group or individual lessons.
BURSARY: SIXTH FORM STUDENTS
Please see the link below in relation to the sixth-form bursary and eligibility.
Beths Grammar School - Bursary
OUR PUPIL PREMIUM STRATEGY
Pupil Premium Strategy Statement & Spending Plan 2023-2024 (31.12.2023)
Next review date: December 2024
