Inclusion Pupil Premium

The pupil premium grant provides funding to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in state-funded schools in England. It designed to help disadvantaged pupils of all abilities perform better and close the gap between them and their peers.

The grant also provides support for children and young people of service families, referred to as service pupil premium (SPP). Pupils that the SPP intends to support are not necessarily from financially disadvantaged backgrounds.

Pupil premium: overview - GOV.UK

Pupil Premium Plus 

This is funding for looked-after children.

Virtual school heads are responsible for managing the funding given to local authorities for the children in their care. They work with schools to ensure the funding is used to help deliver the outcomes identified in the children’s personal education plans, in line with the menu of approaches.

They can pass all the funding on to schools or retain some to fund activities that will benefit a group, or all, of the local authority’s looked-after children.

Pupil premium: overview - GOV.UK.

Funding for Previously Looked After Children (PLAC) is provided to improve the education outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. It is paid directly to schools and not via virtual schools. 

The purpose of PP+ for LAC and PLAC is to raise educational attainment and close the gap between these students and their peers.

Pupil Premium Plus funding for Previously Looked After Children. 

Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP)

The purpose of EYPP is to improve the educational outcomes of socio-economically disadvantaged children who are eligible for free early years entitlements in an early years setting. 

The DfE provides a parental declaration form that early years settings may use for parents or carers to check eligibility. It includes a section on parental consent for early years settings and local authorities to check eligibility for EYPP:

• Early years pupil premium: guide for local authorities - GOV.UK
• Early Years Pupil Premium | Worcestershire County Council

Funding paid to schools

To ensure that pupil premium is focused on effective approaches to raising the educational attainment of disadvantaged pupils, schools (including local authority virtual schools) must spend their pupil premium grant (excluding service pupil premium) on evidence-informed activities in line with the ‘menu of approaches’ set by the Department for Education (DfE).

The menu of approaches is in ‘Using pupil premium: guidance for school leaders’.

The menu aligns with the EEF’s 3-tiered approach, which helps schools allocate spending across the following areas:

• developing high-quality teaching, for example through professional development and recruitment and retention
• providing targeted academic support, such as one-to-one or small group tuition
• tackling non-academic barriers to academic success, such as difficulties with attendance, behaviour and social and emotional wellbeing

Pupil Premium Strategy Statement

Local authority maintained schools must publish a strategy for the school’s use of the Pupil Premium on their website. Pupil Premium from GOV.UK.

Academies and free schools funding agreements will state what information they need to publish on their website. Guidance on what DfE recommends schools publish is also available. Pupil Premium information for academies and free schools from GOV.UK.

Pupil Premium - School Improvement Offer to Support the Leadership of Disadvantaged Learners and Securing Good Outcomes 

Pupil  Premium Review

The purpose of the Pupil Premium review is to ensure your school’s Pupil Premium strategy is effective and to help you explore a range of approaches to improve academic and wider outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

The structure and focus of the Pupil Premium review can be tailored according to a school’s individual needs but will generally include:

• guidance and support to improve your school’s Pupil Premium strategy
• review and evaluation of existing provision with a focus on tracking data and learner outcomes
• exploring a range of approaches to support the academic progress and wider outcomes for disadvantaged pupils
• identification of key strategies and effective interventions that help to narrow gaps between disadvantaged learners and their peers
• identification of staff training needs and professional development opportunities
• support to effectively report on the impact of Pupil Premium funding and provision 

For further information and guidance see Pupil premium reviews - GOV.UK.

Pupil Premium network meetings bring together Pupil Premium champions and inclusion leads and provide an opportunity to share effective practice and gain updates and information on Pupil Premium related topics.

In addition to providing meaningful opportunities for networking with leaders from other schools/settings, these termly half day Pupil Premium Network meetings cover the following:

• the latest national and local legislation, information and updates
• solution focussed strategies to responding to learner needs
• access to exemplar templates, tools and materials
• sharing and discussion of effective practice
• additional support services and agencies that provide specialist support and guidance
• development of partnership working or peer to peer support and challenge
• continuing professional development opportunities

Our school improvement team can provide specialist guidance, bespoke support and professional challenge in order to develop whole school provision to secure improvement and maximise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. The needs of schools vary significantly so our team can create tailored packages according to your individual requirements. Activities can include:

• bespoke consultancy with a range of school leaders, including governors
• a review of key policy documentation
• support and guidance in relation to documentation and statutory website compliance
• support and guidance in constructing an effective pupil premium strategy
• a review of whole school provision, organised in collaboration with SLT, based on agreed objectives and clear evaluation
• joint monitoring activities such as learning walks, lesson observations, learner discussions
• analysis and evaluation of school data to determine the impact of provision on learner progress and wider outcomes
• developing provision management systems to effectively map and evaluate the quality and impact of provision in place
• recommendations to ensure that all learners make sufficient progress and that attainment gaps are narrowed between different groups
• providing exemplar templates, tools and materials Benefits
• external advice and challenge contribute to school evaluation and development planning
• supports the improvement of high-quality inclusive teaching
• promotes a whole-school approach to meeting individual learner needs
• supports leaders in the development of their strategic role
• ensures school compliance with statutory requirements Premium Consultancy

Our team can provide a wide range of specialist guidance, bespoke support and professional challenge in order to develop whole school provision to secure improvement and maximise the achievement of disadvantaged pupils.

Activities can include:

• a review of whole school provision, organised in collaboration with SLT, based on agreed objectives and clear evaluation
• joint monitoring activities such as learning walks, lesson observations, work scrutiny, learner discussions
• analysis and evaluation of school data to determine the impact of provision on learner progress and wider outcomes
• a review of key policy documentation
• providing exemplar templates, tools and materials
• bespoke consultancy with a range of school leaders, including governors
• developing provision management systems to effectively map and evaluate the quality and impact of provision in place
• training for whole staff, groups or individuals
• providing recommendations to ensure that all learners make at least expected progress and that attainment gaps are narrowed between different groups
• support and guidance in relation to statutory website compliance
• support and guidance in constructing an effective pupil premium strategy

The needs of schools vary significantly. Our team can create tailored packages according to your individual requirements.

Governors have a key responsibility to ensure the Pupil Premium funding is used effectively to improve the attainment and progress of learners. This involves monitoring how the funding is spent, scrutinising spending decisions, and evaluating the impact of interventions. For more information see Governor Services.