Pupil Premium/Sports Premium Grant

In April 2011 the Government introduced the Pupil Premium Grant. Schools were allocated additional funding for children who are eligible for free school meals (FSM). This includes children who have been registered at any point in the last six years (known as Ever 6 FSM). The Government believes that the Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between these children and their peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most. Specifically this funding was designed support schools in narrowing any attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.

Schools are given the choice of how to use these funds to best meet those pupils’ needs. The Government uses the number of children entitled to Free School Meals and, those in the care of the Local Authority and those with parents in the armed forces to calculate an appropriate amount of Pupil Premium for the school. Whilst those children receiving FSM are often supported, the school does not focus on these children alone. At St Mary's we target support for children who are vulnerable and in need of additional support for a variety of reasons.