Pupil Premium

Eligibility and funding amounts

The pupil premium grant (PPG) is money given to schools to close the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers, and to support pupils with parents in the armed forces (this part of it is also known as the ‘service premium’).

Schools receive money for each pupil of compulsory school age who fits the eligibility criteria. There are 5 categories of eligibility, with different amounts of funding attached.

Allocation

The grant is allocated in line with the financial year, which begins in April. From April 2021, the grant was allocated based on the number of eligible pupils recorded at the school in the October 2020 census. If an eligible pupil joins after this census, schools don’t receive their allocation until the following year.

Maintained schools receive the grant through their local authority (LA).   All schools receive quarterly instalments.  Pupil premium funding for looked-after children (CLA) is allocated to the LA’s virtual school head, rather than schools. The virtual school head will work with schools to decide how it’ll be spent.

Spending the grant

The school can spend the grant as it sees fit, as long as it can show that spending is improving the attainment of eligible pupils. Schools don’t need to spend an equal amount on each pupil, or fund interventions that benefit only eligible pupils.

Pupil Premium (and Recovery Premium) Strategy 2022-25