Background
‘Schools should be engines of social mobility. They should provide the knowledge, and the tools, to enable talented young people to overcome accidents of birth and an inheritance of disadvantage in order to enjoy greater opportunities’. (Michael Gove)
It is for this reason that the Government have introduced the Pupil Premium which is allocated to schools for children of statutory school age from low-income families who are known to be eligible for Free school meals (FSM), to children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months (LAC) and to children whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces. From 2012 this will also include pupils eligible for FSM at any point in the last six years (known as the Ever 6 FSM measure). Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit, however we will rightly be held accountable for how we have used the additional funding to support pupils from low-income families.
From September 2012 we are required to publish online information about:
- how much money we received through the premium;
- show how we spent the money over the previous year; and
- set out how it proposes to spend the money in the following year.
This will ensure that parents and the public are made fully aware of the attainment of pupils covered by the Premium and the extra support that they receive.
It is important to remember that because of the small numbers of children involved and the risk of identification, the information we publish will not be specific, although we do hold pupil level information. In addition, some of these children may be accessing additional support such as special needs, behaviour, educational psychology, English as an additional language, speech and language, or local support team/common assessment framework (CAF) support as well as additional resources (both staff and physical) and extra-curricular opportunities paid for by school. Furthermore, some children who are not the ‘pupil premium’ group may be accessing similar support to the ‘pupil premium’ children but which is good for all. We track the progress and attainment (achievement) of every child through school so can track progress of groups such as boys, girls, SEN, FSM etc. and use this information to enhance provision.
If you have any questions, or indeed are a parent of a child entitled to Free School Meals, a Looked After Child or work for the armed forces and would like more specific information please contact the Headteacher.