Pupil Premium
The government believes that the pupil premium, which is funded separately to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most.
The pupil premium is allocated to schools to work with pupils who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years (known as ‘Ever 6 FSM’) and for children of service personnel.
Schools can also receive the Pupil Premium Plus grant for looked after children and children adopted from local authority care. For more information on Pupil Premium plus please see the page dedicated to this on the school website. At Camden School for Girls we have decided to rebrand Pupil Premium as Focus First so please be aware that within school the terms are used interchangeably.
The grant for FSM6 students in year 7-11 is £1,035 (Rate from April 2023)
Nationally, statistics show that Pupil Premium pupils:
- Are less likely to reach and fulfil their potential
- Are more likely to be excluded
- Are less likely to succeed due to factors outside of school
- Are less likely to achieve 5+ GCSE passes at grade 4 including English and Maths
- Are less likely to participate in wider school opportunities such as trips, playing of musical instruments and attendance at school clubs
- Start secondary school with a lower average point score than non FSM/LAC pupils
We have developed our strategic aims for use of Pupil Premium funding for 2022-23 which can be found in the PDF below. This was approved by the Full Governing Body in November 2022.
The estimated funds allocated for the academic year 2022-23:
- Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year - £207,415
- Recovery premium funding allocation this academic year - £54,924
- Pupil premium funding carried forward from previous years - £0
- Total budget for this academic year - £262,333
Pupil Premium Plus
What is Pupil Premium Plus?
Pupil Premium Plus is a government grant to support and promote the education of children and young people in care and those who have been adopted from local authority care. The financial arrangements do however differ.
Pupil Premium Plus for Looked after Children:
Pupil Premium Plus can provide each looked after child (LAC) of school age with £2,530 to support their education. However, some children may get more, some less, depending on an assessment of their individual needs. Children and young people will be eligible as soon as they enter care. Pupil Premium Plus must be used to improve outcomes and raise attainment.
The Virtual School Head Teacher of the borough responsible for them is responsible for making sure there are effective arrangements in place for allocating Pupil Premium Plus funding to benefit children looked after their borough.
How the grant is to be used must be clearly identified in each young person’s Personal Education Plan [PEP] in consultation with the designated teacher and the social worker, plus contributions from the carer and other relevant professionals
Pupil Premium Plus for adopted Children:
Schools in England can receive the Pupil Premium Plus for children adopted from care in England or Wales, or who left care under a Special Guardianship Order. To enable us to claim the allowance, parents should inform us about their child and provide supporting evidence, for example, by providing a photocopy of the Adoption Order (with sensitive information concealed).
If you require further information or would like the school to claim the Pupil Premium Plus for your child please contact our Pupil Premium and Inclusion Co-ordinator Ms Jenny Man
What can the money be used for?
The DfE has said that it intends the funding to be spent on: ‘...helping adopted children emotionally, socially and educationally by providing specific support to raise their attainment and address their wider needs.’
The focus on children’s social and emotional and wider needs is in contrast to the Pupil Premium for children eligible for free school meals, which is focused on closing the attainment gap. The money is not ring fenced and does not have to be spent on the individual child. The DfE has said that it has introduced this flexibility so that schools can get maximum impact from the funding and so that children who change schools are not disadvantaged.