Aims
- To provide all pupils with fair and equal opportunities to achieve and excel in all areas of the curriculum through the use of additional, delegated funding.
- To work in partnership with families and pupils eligible for pupil premium, to plan, monitor and evaluate support and intervention in order to secure individual progress and achievement.
- To ensure governors fulfil statutory responsibilities to make effective use of pupil premium funds in order to impact positively on pupils’ achievement and attainment.
What is the Pupil Premium Grant (PPG)?
The Pupil Premium Grant began in 2011 for children eligible for free school meals, children whose parents serve in the armed forces and looked after children; its purpose was to close the attainment gap between these groups and their peers. In 2013 the DfE introduced Pupil Premium Plus for looked after and previously looked after children. In doing this, the DfE acknowledged the enduring impact of trauma and loss in children’s lives and the key role of schools in supporting children who have had a difficult start in life.
Is your child eligible?
The Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) is allocated by the government to school in relation to the defined Disadvantaged Pupils cohort.
PPG provides funding for two policies:
- raising the attainment of disadvantaged pupils of all abilities to reach their potential
- supporting children and young people with parents in the regular armed forces.
This group comprises of pupils currently claiming free school meals (FSM) or at any point in the past six years (Ever 6), pupils in care (LAC) or who have left care through adoption or another formal route (PLAC). In addition, a Service Premium is paid in respect of each pupil who has had a parent in the regular armed forces1 . It is also paid for children in receipt of a pension under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) or the War Pensions Scheme (WPS).
Definition of ‘Disadvantaged Pupils’:
This term refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. Source: Ofsted School Inspection Handbook (p25, footnote 43)
Allocation of Funding
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 children who are eligible. The Pupil Premium Grant is not allocated on the basis of a being a personal budget for individual children. It is the responsibility of the school to manage the Pupil Premium allocation for the benefit of this group. As such, there is scope for Pupil Premium funding to be utilised in a variety of different ways in terms of individual, group and school wide initiatives. Some funding will be allocated from the overall Pupil Premium budget for the provision of additional staff who will provide additional services in school. This funding will also support a universal entitlement to these services. All funding allocated in this way will be calculated on a pro rata basis amongst all of the pupils in receipt of the Pupil Premium Grant
When considering how the PPG is spent, Brompton Hall School will:
- Ensure that Pupil Premium funding allocated to our school is used for its intended purpose.
- Use the latest evidence based research on proven strategies which work to close the attainment gaps and adapt these as necessary to meet the needs of our pupils.
- Be transparent in our reporting of how we have used the Pupil Premium, so that our parents, interested stakeholders and Ofsted are fully aware of how this additional resource has been used to make a difference.
- Ensure there is robust monitoring and evaluation in place to account for the use of the Pupil Premium, by the school and governing body.
- Use the support of outside agencies either as part of an already purchased package or additional support as appropriate.
- Recognise the fact that disadvantaged children are not a homogeneous group and cover a wide range of needs. As such the strategies we use to raise attainment will take these group and individual needs fully into account.
- Use the Pupil Premium for all year groups not just those taking examinations at the end of the year.
- Be mindful of the fact that eligibility for pupil premium funding does not equate with pupils being considered to be of ‘low ability’ because of their social circumstances.