Pupil Premium

The government believes that the pupil premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most.

The pupil premium was introduced in April 2011 and is allocated to schools to work with pupils who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years (known as ‘Ever 6 FSM’).

Schools also receive funding for children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months, and children of service personnel.

Pupil Premium is additional funding provided by the Department for Education (DfE) to support improved educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

For the purposes of Pupil Premium funding, eligible pupils include:

• pupils who are currently eligible for Targeted Free School Meals (FSM);
• pupils who have been eligible for FSM within the previous six years (FSM Ever 6);
• looked-after children (LAC); and
• previously looked-after children (PLAC), including children who were looked after by a local authority or other state care immediately before being adopted, or who left local authority or other state care through a Special Guardianship Order or Child Arrangements Order.

From the 2026–27 academic year, eligibility for Free School Meals has been expanded to include pupils from households receiving Universal Credit. However, pupils who are eligible for FSM solely through the Expanded FSM provision do not attract Pupil Premium funding. Pupil Premium funding continues to apply to pupils eligible for Targeted FSM and to other pupils meeting the Pupil Premium eligibility criteria.

Do you qualify for free school meals?

You can register your child for Free School Meals if you get any e.g these benefits:

• Income Support
• Job Seeker’s Allowance (income-based)
• Employment and Support Allowance (income-related)
• support under part six of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit – providing you are NOT entitled to Working Tax Credit and your family’s annual income (as assessed by HMRC) is not more than £16,190 (as at 6 April 2012)
• Working Tax Credit ‘run-on’ – the payment you may receive for a further four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• 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)

If you think that your child is entitled to receive free school meals and they are not registered, phone us on 01793 770 571 or come into the school office for more information.

Mrs Dos Santos is the contact for parents of those children in receipt of Pupil Premium and will be able to give you more information about how they are being supported in school.

Wiltshire Council has set up a new confidential online application form which can be completed in the privacy of your home. This can be found at http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals and a downloadable version is also available for those who would prefer to apply by post.