What is Pupil Premium?
The pupil premium grant provides funding to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in state-funded schools in England.
As a school, we recognise that not all children who may be considered disadvantaged are struggling academically at school.
Funding Criteria
Pupil premium funding is allocated to eligible schools based on the number of:
- pupils who are recorded as eligible for free school meals, or have been recorded as eligible in the past 6 years (referred to as Ever 6 FSM)
- children previously looked after by a local authority or other state care, including children adopted from state care or equivalent from outside England and Wales.
Pupil premium is not a personal budget for individual pupils, and schools do not have to spend pupil premium so that it solely benefits pupils who meet the funding criteria. It can be used:
- to support other pupils with identified needs, such as those who have or have had a social worker, or who act as a carer
- for whole class interventions which will also benefit non-disadvantaged pupils
Pupil premium funding is allocated to local authorities based on the number of:
- pupils who meet any of the eligibility criteria and who attend an independent setting, where the local authority pays full tuition fees
- looked-after children, supported by the local authority
- Children in Reception to Year 6 who are currently entitled to free school meals based on their family income: £1,515 per pupil, per school year;
- Children in care: £2,630 per pupil, per school year;
- Children previously in care who have been adopted, or who have a special guardianship order, a child arrangements order or a residence order: £2,630 per pupil, per school year;
- Children recorded as being from service families: £350 per pupil, per financial year.
Funding for looked-after children
Virtual school heads are responsible for managing the funding given to local authorities for the children in their care. They work with schools to ensure the funding is used to help deliver the outcomes identified in the children’s personal education plans, in line with the menu of approaches.
They can pass all the funding on to schools or retain some to fund activities that will benefit a group, or all, of the local authority’s looked-after children.
Why should I apply? How does it help my family and the school?
The additional funding supports us as a school and allows us to offer the wide variety of support and opportunities listed below, benefiting your child and the wider school.
Your child will receive a free school meal, which will support your family financially. No child is ever identifiable to others (including the lunchtime staff) as having a free school meal, all meals are still ordered online via Dolce and are served in the same way.
Even if you child doesn’t enjoy school dinners, by successfully applying, you would still be attracting funding to the school.
Your child will be eligible for up to a 50% reduction on school trips, including residential trips – this will show as a reduced payment on your ParentPay account if you are eligible for pupil premium.
If your circumstances changes and you no longer qualify for free school meals, your child will still be considered as pupil premium and the additional funding will still come into school.
In additional to this, children eligible for free school meals, are also able to access the Holiday Activity and Food Programme, which offers free child care during the holidays!
How does this money benefit my child and the school?
As a school, we can choose how to spend the pupil premium money. To see a detailed plan of this spending, see the documents on this page of our website, but they include:
- Extra learning support staff for children within the classroom.
- Extra support staff for children who are in need of social and emotional support and mentoring.
- Extra support services for parents around attendance.
- Funding towards well-being support for parents and pupils via our Ferndale Family Hub.
- Funding towards exciting ‘in school’ enrichment activities.
- 50% funding towards educational trips and visits.
Am I eligible?
Your child may be entitled to free school meals if:
- Your annual income is less than £16,190; and
- You claim Child Tax Credit (*Not Including Working Tax Credit) only; and
- Your child is attending a Sandwell School (if your child(ren) doesn’t attend a Sandwell School, you will need to apply to the Local Authority which your child(ren) school is in)
*Please note you will not qualify for free school meals if you receive any amount of Working Tax Credit. Before applying please check your latest Tax Credit Awards Notice if you are unsure.
Your child may also qualify for free school meals if you receive any of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Universal Credit - To qualify if you are in receipt of Universal Credit, your net earned income (after taxes and deductions ‘take home pay’) must be below £616 per month under the Universal Credit allowance you receive. This will be confirmed on your latest online Universal Credit statement when you received it. If your net earned income shows above the £616 figure you don’t qualify.
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- Employment and Support Allowance (income related)
- Guaranteed Pension Credit (including Child Tax Credit)
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
Parent’s with No Recourse to Public Funds ‘NRTPF’ – For parent’s with no recourse to public funds, you will need to apply directly at your child’s school and must meet the relevant Government set eligibility groups. These can be found on the following link; NRTPF – Eligibility Criteria.
If you are unsure, you can still complete the application form!
How do I apply?
You can pick up a form from the main school office or you can apply online here.
Please view the Pupil Premium strategy documents below:
(Set in Date Order)