The pupil premium is additional funding received by schools for each pupil from disadvantaged families or background. It is allocated to schools based on the number of children who come from low-income families – this is defined as those who are currently known to be eligible for free school meals.

It’s important to know that a pupil does not need to have a school dinner, but the parents / carers must have applied and be entitled if they wanted one.

It also includes:

• pupils who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years
• children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months

Pupils also receive additional funding if they meet the following criteria:

• has been looked after for 1 day or more
• has been adopted from care
• has left care under:

1. a special guardianship order
2. a residence order
3. a child arrangement order

This money is for schools to decide how to use but should be spent in order to improve educational attainment of children from less privileged backgrounds.

This is one of the current coalition government’s key education policies. It’s based on findings that show that, as a group, children who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in time have consistently lower educational attainment than those who have never been eligible for free school meals.

Even if you choose not to have a school dinner, the pupil premium will benefit the pupil and the school.