Pupil Premium: A Guide for Parents, Guardians and Carers.                     

What is the Pupil Premium?                                                

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 research showing that, for a variety of reasons, children from families with a low income perform less well at school than their peers. Children who are entitled to pupil premium can face challenges such as poor language and communication skills, 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 classmates.

Secondary schools are given a pupil premium for:

• Children in Year 7 to Year 11 who are, or have ever been, entitled to free school meals based on their family income: £935 per pupil, per school year 
• Children in care: £2,300 per pupil, per school year
• Children previously in care who have been adopted, or who have a special guardianship order, a child arrangements order or a residence order: £2,300 per pupil, per school year 
• Children recorded as being from service families: £300 per pupil, per school year
• How do you qualify for Pupil Premium?
  Children qualify for free school meals – and therefore pupil premium – if their parents or guardians receive any of the following benefits: 
• Universal credit (provided you have a net income of £7400 or less) 
• Income support
• Income-based jobseekers’ allowance
• Income-related employment and support allowance 
• Support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 
• The guaranteed element of state pension credit 
• Child tax credit, provided that you are not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross income of £16,190 or less
• These benefits have now all been rolled into a single benefit, called Universal Credit.

How will the grant be used to benefit children?

At DSTC we will identify what we believe would be of most benefit to the children who are eligible for pupil premium to address any learning gaps and to enable them to make progress. The £935 grant available for each student may not be always be spent on specific actions for an individual but may be used for the benefit of disadvantaged and vulnerable students as a whole, for example purchasing revision resources or supplementing a visiting educational workshop.

 

Common ways in which we may spend the pupil premium fund could include:

• Extra one-to-one or small-group support for children within the classroom.
• Employing extra teaching assistants to work with classes.
• Running catch-up sessions before or after school, for example for children who need extra help with maths or literacy.
• Running a school breakfast club to improve attendance.
• Providing extra tuition for able children.
• Providing music lessons for children whose families would be unable to pay for them.
• Funding educational trips and visits.
• Paying for additional help such as speech and language therapy or family therapy.
• Funding English classes for children who speak another language at home.
• Investing in resources that boost children’s learning, such as texts, laptops or tablets. 
• Paying for additional classes (sets) in core subjects of English / Maths / Science in Key Stage 4: Years 10&11.

How are we made accountable for the way we spend the Pupil Premium Grant?
                                                                                   
We have to show that we are using our pupil premium fund appropriately. This is measured through Ofsted inspections and annual performance tables showing the progress made by children who are eligible for pupil premium. In addition, we have to publish details online, including how much money we have been allocated, how we intend to spend it, how we spent our previous year’s allocation and how it made a difference to the attainment of disadvantaged pupils.
                                                                                   
Schools are responsible for recording the children who are eligible for pupil premium in their annual school census - parents don't have to do anything other than making sure you return any paperwork that relates to the benefits you receive or your child's entitlement to free school meals.
                                                                                   
Should you need any further information or advice regarding Pupil Premium please contact Mrs D Ellis via. the school office: office@dstc.kent.sch.uk