What is Pupil Premium?
Pupil Premium is a government scheme that was introduced in 2011 to improve the education of disadvantaged children. It was launched after several research papers suggested that:
- There was a significant gap between the educational performance of disadvantaged children and their classmates.
- Many children who are eligible for pupil premium have to face extra challenges daily. These challenges can include attendance issues, lack of confidence and difficulty communicating with others.
The scheme aims to grant schools with extra funding so that they’re able to provide additional support for children who are faced with these types of challenges and improve their educational outcomes.
More information can be found here.
Free School Meals
We collect and record details from all parents/carers at the point of first admission. This helps to ensure children can quickly and easily access support to which they are entitled, without needing to “apply” for free school meals.
If you haven’t already provided your details and permission to share with City of Wolverhampton Council, we would urge you to do so. Even if you aren’t currently eligible, your circumstances may change in future.
You simply need to provide the school with:
· your full name
· your date of birth and
· your National Insurance (NI) number
If you have an asylum support reference number instead of an NI number, we will also need to know your nationality to check eligibility with the Home Office.
If you have No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF), you will need to complete an application form and provide additional evidence to the school.
We will share your details with City of Wolverhampton Council. The Council checks eligibility using a secure Government website.
If you are found eligible for Expanded (EFSM) or Targeted Free School Meals (TFSM), we will let you know. If you aren’t found eligible, the Council will continue to check your eligibility.
Even if your child chooses not to eat school meals (or they already get free meals under the Universal Infant Free School Meals – UIFSM – scheme), we would still encourage you to share your details for checking.
We receive valuable Government funding (Pupil Premium) for every child registered for TFSM and for children in Reception to Year 11 with historic FSM claims (for up to six years after the end of the claim).
For more information about what this additional funding helps us to provide, please visit here
If you are found eligible for Targeted Free School Meals (TFSM), your child/ren (in Reception to Year 11 inclusive) will also be entitled to access the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) Programme during the main school holidays (Christmas, Easter and Summer). Please visit www.yowolves.co.uk for more information about HAF.
There is more information about free school meals and other help and support available to City of Wolverhampton’s residents at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/
For further information about eligibility for Pupil Premium and Free School Meals please contact Mrs Bowen, our Office Manager (01902 556368).
