The Pupil Premium is calculated based on children who are known to be eligible for Free School Meals (FSM), service children and children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months. This will also include pupils eligible for FSM at any point in the last six years. From September 2012, schools have been required to publish online information about how they plan to use their allocation and the impact it has had. This ensures that parents and other interested parties are made fully aware of the attainment of pupils and schools’ strategies for ‘narrowing the gap’. The spending of this grant is at the discretion of the governors of the school, and it is our intention to provide support at both ends of the ability spectrum. We have produced a vision and values statement to support our plan for using the Pupil Premium funding.

All children in reception, year 1 and year 2 at state schools in England automatically get free school meals. However, parents and guardians are encouraged to apply for free school meals when they enrol their child in school, as this can help the school to attract additional ‘pupil premium‘ funding to support learning.

From year 3 onwards, children whose parents are getting any of the following are entitled to free school meals:

• Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods).
• Income Support (IS).
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA).
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (IRESA).
• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit.
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income that does not exceed £16,190).
• Working Tax Credit run-on  (the payment you get for a further 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit).

Remember, if your application for Free School Meals is successful your school will receive an extra Pupil Premium payment to use in the support of teaching and learning.

• Parents should apply through the Citizen Portal which is the quickest and easiest way to apply and will result in you getting an instant decision.

In addition, the following pupils will be protected against losing their free school meals:

• Since 1 April 2018, all existing free school meals claimants have continued to receive free school meals whilst Universal Credit is rolled out. This applies regardless of any change in household circumstances, including if their earnings rise above the threshold during that time. Protections will remain in place until the end of the 2025/26 school year.
• From the start of the 2026/27 school year, the Department for Education will extend entitlement to Free School Meals to include all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit. The DfE will issue further guidance ahead of September 2026.

Free school meals