What is Pupil Premium?

Aims

Denham Village School is committed to ensuring that all pupils achieve the very best outcomes in terms of their academic and personal development, alongside providing a rich and varied experience that develops life opportunities for children. Narrowing the difference in attainment and progress is key for all children, but with particular focus on children identified as Pupil Premium or disadvantaged.

Pupil Premium funding is allocated to schools based on the number of children eligible for free school meals and children in care or left in care through adoption or another formal route. The school also receives a grant for pupils whose parents currently serve in the armed forces.

It is for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility. It is expected that this funding is used to help and support these pupils and to ensure they make good progress.

No one child is the same and thus this is reflected in the wide variety of ways pupil premium is utilised. The provision provided encompasses both direct approaches to ‘narrowing the gap’ and other more creative interventions, which subsequently influence academic achievement and very importantly enhance their social and emotional well-being. We believe that pupil premium should be used to impact the wider school but, it is also pertinent that the pupil premium is specifically tailored to meet the needs of individual pupil premium pupils, in addition to and in different ways from our other intervention programmes. Interventions for each pupil are decided on an individual, needs-led basis, thus enabling the children to benefit from more than one intervention which is directly matched to their needs.

Funding can also be used to support subsidised trips, breakfast club and extracurricular activities.

What is pupil premium funding?

Pupil premium funding from the government is given to schools to help pupils reach their full potential, regardless of their background or financial situation. It’s provided for pupils who:

• Are registered for free school meals

• Have been registered for free school meals at any point in the past 6 years

• Are, or have been, in care

• Have parents in the armed forces

At Denham Village School we get an extra £1480.00. These figures are for the 2024/2025 financial year, for every eligible pupil who is registered for free school meals. This extra money could make a real difference to the quality of education we offer. For example, we’ve previously used pupil premium funding for educational provision/resources. Academic interventions / Assessments Wellbeing and self-esteem-building interventions.

Is my child eligible for free school meals?

Your child might be eligible if you access:

- Income Support

- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance

- Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

- The guaranteed element of Pension Credit Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)

- Working Tax Credit run-on Universal Credit, provided you have an annual net earned income not exceeding £7,400 (£616.67 per month)

Universal infant free school meals

Currently, pupils in reception, year 1 and year 2 are entitled to a free school meal thanks to a different government funding scheme known as universal infant free school meals (UIFSM). You shouldn’t confuse UIFSM with free school meals and the pupil premium. If your child is in reception, year 1 or year 2 and is eligible for free school meals according to the criteria above, you should still register because we’ll receive the extra pupil premium funding.

Does my child have to eat the free school meals?

No. Pupils who are registered for free school meals don’t have to eat them. If you’re eligible, but you want your child to have packed lunches, you should still register because the school will receive the funding which can support your child in other ways.

Is my child eligible for Pupil Premium?

To find out how Denham Village School spends the Pupil Premium grant, please follow the links below:

To find out if you are eligible, please contact the school office.

Please use the form below to apply.