What is the pupil premium grant?
The pupil premium grant is funding introduced by the Government to improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged children and young people. The funding is allocated to schools for pupils from Reception to Year 11 under three main criteria:
- Pupils in Receipt of Free School Meals (FSM) – The College receives specific funds to support pupils who are eligible for free school meals or have been at any point in the last six years.
- Looked after and previously looked after children (LAC, PLAC) – For pupils who are or have ever been in local authority care.
- Service pupil premium (SPP) – For pupils with a parent who is serving in HM Forces or who has retired on a pension from the Ministry of Defence.
The government allows schools to decide how to spend the pupil premium in order to improve attainment. It could be spent on aspirational trips and visits, on in-class support or on specialist services. Attached below is a statement on how we use pupil premium funding at St Richard Reynolds Catholic College. You may access the pupil premium policy HERE.
At St Richard Reynolds Catholic College we recognise that not all pupils who are eligible for Pupil Premium are disadvantaged, and that some disadvantaged pupils are eligible for Pupil Premium. These pupils are identified through the College’s pastoral or progress monitoring systems and we allocate pupil premium funding to support them. If your family is experiencing hardship, please get in touch with the College so that we may offer support. This support is not exclusively for Pupil Premium students; we want to offer our assistance to any families within our community who are experiencing financial difficulties.
How do I apply to receive support?
Even though all Primary school pupils receive free school meals through the Mayor of London’s initiative, it is important to check your eligibility, as being in receipt of free school meals allows the school to claim additional funding to support your child.
How might a child be eligible for FSM or pupil premium funding?
A child may be eligible to receive the pupil premium grant/free school meals if the parent receives 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
Children who get any of the above benefits in their own right (i.e. they get benefits payments directly, instead of through a parent or guardian) can also get the pupil premium grant/free school meals.
If you think you are eligible for Free School Meals, please complete the FSM Application form and the Payments team will be able to run an eligibility check for you. If you need to speak to someone regarding your application, please email us at payments@srrcc.org.uk.
Please refer to our Pupil Premium strategy for more information.