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 children.

This is based on the research showing that children from low income families perform less well at school than their peers. Sometimes, children 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. The pupil premium is intended to directly benefit the children who are eligible, helping to narrow the gap between them and their peers.

How is it spent?

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.

Common ways in which schools spend their pupil premium fund include:

  • Extra 1:1 or small group tuition within the class or external to the class
  • Employing extra TAs to work with classes
  • Running catch-up sessions before or after school, for example children who may need extra support with numeracy or literacy
  • Funding educational trips, residentials and any internal visitors
  • Paying for additional help such ELSAs and the training that goes into this

You can read our latest Pupil Premium Strategy document here:

Pupil Premium Strategy Statement KPS