Pupil Premium

The Pupil Premium is a Government initiative that targets extra money to schools based on the number of pupils from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, as research shows these children are more likely to underachieve compared to their peers. The funding is provided with the express intention of supporting these pupils in achieving their full potential.

Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium monies, which is additional to the underlying schools budget, in a way they think will best support the raising of attainment for the most vulnerable pupils.

While the money is awarded on a per child basis, the funds are not to be spent each year on a particular child; the money is pooled and allocated according to need in order to ‘close the gap’. The targeted and strategic use of Pupil Premium will support us in achieving our vision of closing the attainment gap and accelerating progress across the School.

How do we use the Pupil Premium Grant?

The Pupil Premium funding is used for academic interventions; in particular, small group and 1:1 tuition which is led by teachers and teaching assistants. The Ferncumbe CE Primary School acknowledges that the attainment and progress of children can be affected by a child’s self-esteem and wellbeing. Therefore the pupil premium can also be used for pastoral support and enrichment activities such as nurture groups, music tuition and Forest School. We also use Pupil Premium funding for staff CPD (Continuing Professional Development) as the quality of the staff delivering our interventions is of the utmost importance.