Pupil Premium Funding

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 (Non free school meals-Non FSM) by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most.

In most cases, the Pupil Premium is allocated to schools and is clearly identifiable. It is for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium, allocated to schools per FSM pupil, is spent since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility.

Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit. However, they will be held accountable in how they have used the additional funding to support pupils from low income families. New measures are included in the performance tables that capture the achievement of those deprived covered by the Pupil Premium. From September 2012, the Government required schools to publish online information about how they have used the premium. This ensures that parents and all other interested parties are made fully aware of the attainment for this group of pupils.

What is Pupil Premium Funding?

Once a year we provide the Department for Education with information that we hold about our pupils in a census return. Allocations are made based on the school which the eligible pupil attends, at the time of the October school census. This information is used to determine the amount of additional funding we receive for specific pupils, and we then ensure the money is spent on those same pupils over the course of the school year. The Pupil Premium is additional funding given to schools so that we can support our disadvantaged pupils and close the attainment gap between them and their peers.

Where Can I Find More Information On Pupil Premium Funding?

For more information on Pupil Premium please visit the Department for Education’s website:

DfE Pupil Premium

How Do I Know If My Child Can Receive Pupil Premium Funding?

Free School Meals
The most common reason a pupil receives Pupil Premium funding at our school is that a parent is registered as receiving a benefit that entitles them to free school meals. This is not the same as receiving a free school meal as your child is in Key Stage 1.

Free school meal/pupil premium funding now works as all pupils in EYFS and Key Stage 1 will receive a free school meal under the Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) Scheme. However, if you receive certain benefits your child can still receive pupil premium funding, but you MUST fill in all the details on the free school meal form available upon request from the office.

In Key Stage 2 (Yr3, Yr4, Yr5 & Yr6) all pupils will need to apply for free school meals if they qualify for pupil premium.

Service Children
Children of armed service personnel are also eligible. Service children are children and young people from families where one or more parents is currently in the British armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Pupils attract the premium if they meet the following criteria:

one of their parents is serving in the regular armed forces
one of their parents served in the regular armed forces in the last 3 year
one of their parents died while serving in the armed forces and the pupil is in receipt of a pension under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and the War Pensions Scheme (WPS)

Looked After Children
Schools will also receive funding for each pupil who has left local-authority care because of 1 of the following:

adoption
a special guardianship order
a child arrangements order
a residence order

If a pupil has been registered as eligible for free school meals and has also left local authority care for any of the reasons above, they will attract the LAC rate of funding.

How Much Money Does The School Receive?

In the 2025/2026 financial year, the pupil premium rates are:

£1,515 for each eligible free school meal for primary-aged pupils.
£350 for each eligible service child.
£2,63 for each looked after/ previously looked after child

IF YOU ARE IN ANY DOUBT IF YOUR CHILD MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR
PUPIL PREMIUM FUNDING PLEASE ASK US.

How do we allocate the funding?

At Thorney Close Primary School, our Pupil Premium Strategy is closely aligned with the School Development Plan. When planning how to allocate Pupil Premium funding, we draw upon research evidence from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to ensure our decisions are well informed and impactful.

Pupil Premium spending is reviewed during budget setting at the start of each financial year and again at the beginning of the academic year. Adjustments may also be made mid-year, as funding allocations are updated in line with school census information.

In developing our approach, we have been guided by the EEF’s recommendations on Pupil Premium. Our strategy is underpinned by three key principles:

Collective responsibility – All stakeholders share accountability for ensuring that every pupil, including disadvantaged pupils, is supported to achieve their full potential.
Evidence-led, individualised approach – While we address common barriers, our strategy places strong emphasis on meeting the unique needs of each disadvantaged pupil.
High-quality teaching, targeted intervention, and wider support – These are the core elements through which we deliver our Pupil Premium strategy effectively.

Education Endowment Foundation

Pupil Premium Strategy 2025-2026

In the 2025–2026 academic year school will receive £201,495 in Pupil Premium funding, based on 133 pupils eligible for free school meals. This does not include additional funding for children from service families, those currently looked after, or previously looked-after children. The funding will be allocated across three key priority areas: Teaching, Targeted Academic Support, and Wider Strategies.

strategy statement 2025 2026.pdf

Pupil Premium Strategy 2024-2025

In the 2024–2025 academic year, Thorney Close Primary School received £202,560 in Pupil Premium funding. This allocation was based on the following:

129 pupils eligible for Pupil Premium at a rate of £1,480 = £190,920
4 post-LAC (Looked After Children) at a rate of £2,570 = £10,280
4 service children at a rate of £340 = £1,360

This did not include any other additional funding streams.

The 2024–2025 Pupil Premium budget was fully allocated and spent across three key areas to maximise impact on disadvantaged pupils:

Teaching – £47,000 was allocated to strengthening high-quality classroom teaching. This included increasing the number of teaching staff to reduce class sizes, as well as providing professional development to support effective curriculum delivery and improve outcomes for all pupils, with a particular focus on disadvantaged learners.
Targeted Academic Support – £105,100 was allocated to evidence-based interventions tailored to individual needs. This funding supported small-group and one-to-one tuition, specialist teaching assistants, and structured programmes designed to accelerate progress for pupils at risk of falling behind.
Wider Strategies – £50,500 was used to deliver additional support beyond the classroom. This included initiatives to improve attendance and wellbeing, enrichment opportunities, pastoral care, and family engagement, all aimed at reducing barriers to learning.

Total Pupil Premium Spend 2024–2025: £202,600.00

Through this funding, the school ensured that all pupils were provided with the opportunities, resources, and support needed to achieve their full potential. This plan will be reviewed in September 2025, and the full Pupil Premium Strategy for 2024–2025 can be found below.

strategy statement 2024 2025.pdf