The Government believes that the Pupil Premium, which is an allocation of additional funding (to main Academy funding), is the best way to support specific groups of children who are vulnerable to possible underachievement and to address the gap in their educational attainment.
These include children:
- who have been eligible for free school meals (FSM) at some point in the last six years;
- who have been in care for more than six months Child Looked After (CLA);
- whose parents are currently employed by the armed services.
Nationally, the statistics show that pupils who are in receipt of FSM, do less well than their peers in exams, for example: SATs. All schools are therefore required to report on the amount of funding received and how this is being used; alongside the impact of the funding, once available.
Principles for supporting pupils in receipt of Pupil Premium Funding:
At Westbridge, we view the needs of all our children as important and ensure that our teaching and learning opportunities meet the needs of all of them;
- We ensure that appropriate provision is made for all pupils who belong to vulnerable groups;
- We recognise that not all pupils who receive free school meals are socially disadvantaged (or indeed underachieving) and not all pupils who are socially disadvantaged are eligible for free school meals;
- Pupil Premium funding will be allocated based on a needs analysis, reflecting these considerations, which will identify priority classes, groups or individuals.