What is Pupil Premium?
The Pupil Premium is a form of funding, in addition to main school funding, to address the current underlying inequalities between those children eligible for free school meals (FSM), forces children, looked after children and adopted children and their peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most.
The Pupil Premium is allocated to schools and it is for schools to decide how the funding will be spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility. The funding is allocated to schools per individual pupil. The funding for each pupil eligible for Free School Meals in the last 6 years will be £1,480. The school will also receive funding (£2,570) for each pupil identified in the spring school census as having left local-authority care because of one of the following:
- adoption
- a special guardianship order
- a child arrangement order
In addition, schools receive £340 for each child who has a parent in the Armed Forces.
Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit. However, they will be held accountable for how they have used the additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils
Principles
New measures are included in the performance tables that capture the achievement of those deprived pupils covered by the Pupil Premium.
Since September 2012, schools have been required to publish online information about how they have used the Premium. This will ensure that parents and others are made fully aware of the attainment of pupils covered by the Premium.
We endeavour to close any achievement gap by ensuring that any pupils at risk of underachieving are identified early and support and interventions are provided for individual pupils. As a school we are committed to personalising provision to ensure all pupils make at least good progress in their learning. We believe that all pupils should attain the expected standard before transferring to secondary school.
How much funding does the school get?
Water Street Primary School received £35,190 in Pupil Premium Funding in the academic year 2023 - 2024 and expects to receive £44,270 in the 2024 - 2025 academic year.
What does the school spend the money on?
We plan how this money will support Free School Meal (FSM) pupils and evaluate its impact. The Sutton Trust recently produced a report revealing which kinds of support and interventions are most beneficial and the school has borne this information in mind when taking decisions. Currently the school is using the money in the following ways:
- Support for children from the Wellbeing team if needed
- Individual Teaching Assistant Support
- Subsidising extra-curricular events & visits
- A contribution to 'Skipton Extended Learning for All' (SELFA) to enable pupils to attend holiday clubs and child care.
What difference is it making?
Attainment and achievement of pupils in receipt of 'Pupil Premium' was very impressive. All pupils gained expected standard or beyond. They all made beyond expected progress and their attendance was outstanding. All pupils represented the school in drama, music and sports.