Pupil Premium is funding given to state-funded schools in England to help improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils and close the attainment gap between them and their peers. Schools are held accountable for this spending and must publish their strategy on their website. 

Who is eligible for Pupil Premium?

Funding is allocated based on the number of students who fit certain criteria, which includes three main groups: 

• Ever 6 Free School Meals (FSM): Pupils who are currently eligible for FSM or have been eligible at any point in the last six years.
• Looked-after and previously looked-after children (PP+): Children who are in local authority care, or have been adopted from care or left care under a special guardianship or child arrangements order.
• Service children (Service Pupil Premium): Pupils with a parent serving in the regular armed forces, or who have been registered as a service child within the last six years. 

How can the funding be used?

The Department for Education (DfE) requires schools to spend their Pupil Premium on evidence-informed activities from a "menu of approaches". This menu is based on the Education Endowment Foundation's (EEF) three-tiered approach: 

1. Supporting high-quality teaching: This is the top priority for spending. It can include professional development for staff, as well as recruitment and retention.
2. Providing targeted academic support: This involves additional help for pupils who need it, such as one-on-one or small-group tutoring.
3. Tackling non-academic barriers: This addresses issues like poor attendance, behavioral problems, and social or emotional wellbeing. Funding can be used for initiatives like breakfast clubs, counselling, and help with school trips or uniforms. 

What else should be known about Pupil Premium?

• Not an individual budget: The funding is not a personal budget for individual eligible pupils. Schools can use the money to support other pupils with specific needs or on whole-class interventions that benefit all students.
• Accountability: Schools are required to publish a strategy statement on their website explaining how the funding will be used and the impact it had in the previous academic year. OfSTED considers this strategy during school inspections.
• Virtual School Heads (VSHs): For looked-after children, VSHs manage the funding and work with schools to ensure it is used effectively to support the child's educational outcomes.
• Flexibility for service children: While Service Pupil Premium is primarily for pastoral support, schools have the flexibility to use it for academic progress if they deem it a priority.