Pupil Premium
A Guide to Pupil Premium
If your child is eligible for free school meals, their schools may also be entitled to receive a sum of money to boost their learning.
This guide explains the allocation of the Pupil Premium for Thomas Middlecott Academy and its students.
What is the Pupil Premium?
Introduced in 2011, the Pupil Premium is a sum of money given to schools each year by the Government to improve the attainment of disadvantaged students.
This is based on research showing that students from low income families perform less well at school than their peers. Research showed that often, students who are entitled to Pupil Premium face challenges such as poor language and communication skills, less family support, lack of confidence and issues with attendance and punctuality compared to non-Pupil Premium students. The Pupil Premium is intended to directly benefit the students who are eligible, helping to narrow the gap between them and their classmates and their peers nationally.
Is your child eligible?
Schools are given a Pupil Premium for:
- Students who have qualified for free school meals at any point in the past six years. The school receives [£935] for each of these students.
- Students who have been looked after under local authority care for more than one day. These school is awarded a premium of [£2300].
How is it spent at Thomas Middlecott Academy
Schools can choose how to spend their Pupil Premium money, as they are best placed to identify what would be of most benefit to the students who are eligible.
Common ways in which schools spend their Pupil Premium fund include:
- Extra one-to-one or small-group support for students within the classroom.
- Employing extra teaching assistants to work with classes.
- Running catch-up sessions before or after school, for example for students who need extra help with particular skills.
- Providing extra tuition for able students who receive the Pupil Premium.
- Funding educational trips and visits.
At Thomas Middlecott, Pupil Premium money will be used to support the following areas identified as barriers to success for Pupil Premium students:
- To boost literacy (reading) levels.
- To improve students’ attendance to school.
- To support students who experience mental health concerns.
- To improve outcomes for students who have special educational needs.
Accountability
The Principal and the Senior Leadership Team will regularly and rigorously monitor, evaluate and review the strategies that have been put into place, funded through the pupil premium, and report to the Governing Body on progress and impact.
