The Pupil premium is additional funding provided by the Department for Education to enhance the education of the most socio-economically deprived and is based mainly on those pupils entitled to free school meals either currently or at any point in the past 6 years and looked after children (in national statistics from 2014 this group is referred to as ‘Disadvantaged’ with their peers being ‘Non-Disadvantaged’).
From September 2020 the premium was allocated at £955 per pupil this has risen in 2022 to £985. Other premiums were also allocated to those children who had been in the care of the local authority (LAC) and pupils whose parents were in the armed services.
This funding is crucial in helping the school narrow the gap between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and others within the school.
At King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy we are committed to ensuring every child has the same opportunities and as part of this commitment we are strategic in how we spend this additional money. Our policy is in line with the 3-tiered approach in EEF’s pupil premium guide, activities must be those that:
Number of pupils and pupil premium grant (PPG) received
| 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2023-24 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total number of pupils on roll | 362 | 386 | 404 | 404 |
| Percentage of pupils eligible for PPG | 75% | 76% | 76% | 76.7% |
| Amount of PPG received per pupil | £955 | £955 | £985 | £985 |
| Total amount of PPG received | £255,255 | £267,400 | £294,515 | £389,089 |
The catch-up premium is an additional source of funding designed to support those students who have not met the expected standards in numeracy and reading comprehension at the end of key stage 2 (KS2).
This Year (2023-24) the government announced additional funding to support children and young people to catch up lost time after school closure. This is especially important for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds. The pupil premium plan incorporates this funding as is used to support pupils who need additional targeted support.
