Pupil Premium Impact and Strategy
What is the Pupil Premium?
A Brief History of Pupil Premium
The Coalition Government introduced the Pupil Premium in 2011 to provide additional school funding for those children classed as having deprived backgrounds, and also those who had been looked after (by a local authority) for more than six months. In addition, the Service Premium was introduced for children whose parent(s) are, or have since 2011, served in the armed forces.
Since their introduction, changes have been made to the eligibility criteria and the funding levels of the premiums. The Pupil Premium has increased from £430 per pupil in 2011–12, to £1,320 per primary pupil and £935 per secondary pupil in 2016-17 (in 2014-15 the Government introduced different Pupil Premium rates for primary and secondary pupils). In addition, while eligible looked after children previously attracted the same Pupil Premium as deprived children, in 2014-15 the “Pupil Premium Plus” was introduced. For 2014-15 and 2015-16 current or certain previously looked after children each attracted £1,900 of funding. The eligibility criteria for the Service Premium have been broadened since 2011-12 and the rate has increased from £200 to £300.
The Spending Review in November 2015 included a commitment from the Government to continue funding the Pupil Premium at existing cash terms levels.
The pupil premium is additional funding for publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils of all abilities and to close the gaps between them and their peers.
Purpose
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.
Pupil eligibility and funding rates
This table shows how much pupil premium funding schools and local authorities receive for each eligible child.
| Pupil eligibility criteria | Amount of funding for each primary-aged pupil per year | Amount of funding for each secondary-aged pupil per year | Funding is paid to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils who are eligible for free school meals, or have been eligible in the past 6 years | £1345 | £955 | School |
| Pupils who have been adopted from care or have left care | £2345 | £2345 | School |
| Children who are looked after by the local authority | £2345 | £2345 | Local authority |
Eligible schools
The following schools are allocated pupil premium funding based on the number of eligible pupils who attend.
Local authority-maintained schools
This includes:
- mainstream infant, primary, middle, junior, secondary and all-through schools serving children aged 5 to 16
- schools for children with special educational needs or disabilities
- pupil referral units (PRUs), for children who do not go to a mainstream school
Academies, free schools and non-maintained special schools
This includes:
- mainstream academies serving pupils aged 5 to 16
- academies and non-maintained special schools for children with special educational needs or disabilities
- alternative provision (AP) academies, for children who do not go to a mainstream school
Pupil premium funding is also provided to local authorities for eligible pupils in independent special schools, where the local authority pays full tuition fees.
Service pupil premium (SPP)
Service pupil premium is additional funding for schools, but it is not based on disadvantage. It has been combined into pupil premium payments to make it easier for schools to manage their spending.
Schools get £310 for every pupil with a parent who:
- is serving in HM Forces
- has retired on a pension from the Ministry of Defence
This funding is to help with pastoral support.
Use of the pupil premium
Funding paid to schools
School leaders are best placed to assess their pupils’ needs and use the funding to improve attainment, drawing on evidence of effective practice. It is up to school leaders to decide how to spend the pupil premium.
Evidence suggests that pupil premium spending is most effective when schools use a tiered approach, targeting spending across 3 areas, with a particular focus on teaching.
1. Teaching
Investing in high-quality teaching, for example:
- training and professional development for teachers
- recruitment and retention
- support for teachers early in their careers
2. Targeted academic support
Additional support for some pupils focussed on their specific needs, for example:
- one-to-one tuition
- small group tuition
- speech and language therapy
3. Wider approaches
Support for non-academic issues that impact success in school, such as attendance, behaviour and social and emotional challenges. For example:
- school breakfast clubs
- counselling to support emotional health and wellbeing
- help with the cost of educational trips or visits
Read the Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) pupil premium guide for information about the tiered approach to spending.