Pupil premium refers to additional school funding for disadvantaged pupils. The aim of pupil premium funding is to enhance attainment and improve learning outcomes for children from low-income families.

The calculation of pupil premium allocations schools is based on the number of eligible pupils recorded by schools in the relevant census.

Schools get pupil premium funding based on the number of pupils they have from the following groups:

• Free school meals*
• Looked-after children
• Children adopted from care or who have left care (previously looked-after)

Schools get £1,345 for every primary age pupil, or £955 for every secondary age pupil, and £2,345 for every pupil who has left local authority care through adoption, a special guardianship order or child arrangements order.

Schools can choose how to spend their pupil premium money and allocated funding doesn’t necessarily have to be spent directly on the individual pupils who qualify. Evidence suggests that pupil premium spending is most effective when schools use a tiered approach across teaching, academic support and wider approaches.