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The Echelford Primary School

Pupil Premium

Pupil Premium is allocated to children from low-income families who are currently known to be eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) in both mainstream and non-mainstream settings and children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months.   It is also allocated to those children of service families who are school age.

Our Strategy Statement details our school’s use of pupil premium funding to help improve the attainment of our disadvantaged pupils. It outlines our pupil premium strategy, how we intend to spend the funding in this academic year and the effect that last year’s spend had within our school.

Our Statement is split into distinct areas as follows: 
  • School and Funding Overview tables
  • Part A: Pupil Premium strategy plan - explaining our school challenges, our intended outcomes and the specific initiatives we will put in place.
  • Part B: Review of outcomes in the previous academic year - details the impact of each initiative undertaken.

Free School Meal & Pupil Premium Information and Eligibility

What Are Free School Meals (FSM) and Pupil Premium (PP)?

  • Free School Meals (FSM): Pupils may be entitled to free, healthy school meals if their parents/guardians meet the eligibility criteria.
  • Pupil Premium (PP): Additional funding given to schools for pupils who have been registered as entitled to FSM at any point in the last 6 years.
  • Even if your child does not take a school meal, completing the Free School Meal & Pupil Premium Eligibility Application Form helps the school access valuable extra funding to support your child and others.

Advantages for Pupils:

  • Free, healthy school meals every day, ensuring children are well-fed and ready to learn
  • Extra academic support through small group teaching, additional resources, and targeted interventions
  • Wider opportunities, such as help with the cost of school trips, PE kit, music lessons, and enrichment activities
  • Improved wellbeing through pastoral support, mentoring, and other services funded by Pupil Premium

Advantages for Families:

  • Financial savings - free school meals can save families hundreds of pounds each year
  • Peace of mind knowing your child is getting a nutritious meal at school
  • Access to a free PE kit and free or reduced cost for trips and activity clubs
  • No impact on other benefits - applying does not affect any other benefits you already receive whether you are eligible for FSM or not

Who is eligible?

Eligibility Criteria 1 – Free School Meals

Your child may be entitled if you receive any of the following:

  • Universal Credit with an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400
  •  Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (IBJSA)
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (IRESA)
  • Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • The guarantee element of Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (with no Working Tax Credit) and an annual gross income of no more than £16,190 (as assessed by HMRC) Note: If you receive Working Tax Credit, you do not qualify, even if you also receive Child Tax Credit and your income is below £16,190
  • Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

Eligibility Criteria 2 – Other Pupil Premium Funding

Your child may be eligible if any of the following apply:

  • They are a looked-after child (LAC) — i.e. in the care of, or provided with accommodation by, an English local authority
  • They have ceased to be looked after by the local authority because of:
  1. Adoption
  2. A special guardianship order
  3. A child arrangements order
  4. A residence order
  5. For pupils in Reception to Year 11:
  6. Either or both parents are regular members of HM Forces and designated as personal category 1 or 2 (PStat Cat 1 or 2), serving in the armed forces of another nation but stationed in England, or in receipt of a child pension from the Ministry of Defence

Next Steps

To apply, please complete the Free School Meal & Pupil Premium Eligibility Application Form and return it to the school office. Please click here to be taken to the application form.

Your application helps us to provide the very best support for your child and our school community.

The Echelford Primary School