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Pupil Premium Spending at Hope Community school
Introduced in 2011, the pupil premium is a sum of money given to schools each year by the Government to improve the attainment of disadvantaged children.
This is based on research showing that children from low-income families perform less well at school than their peers. Often, children who are entitled to pupil premium face challenges such as poor language and communication skills, less family support, lack of confidence and issues with attendance and punctuality. The pupil premium is intended to directly benefit the children who are eligible, helping to diminish the difference between them and their classmates.
In the 2025 to 2026 financial year, schools will receive the following funding for each child registered as eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years:
- £1,515 for pupils in reception year to year 6
Schools will also receive £2,630 for each pupil identified in the spring school census as having left local-authority care because of 1 of the following:
- adoption
- a special guardianship order
- a child arrangements order
- a residence order
How do I know if my child is eligible for pupil premium?
Your child may be eligible for free school meals – and accordingly pupil premium – if you receive any of the following benefits:
- Income support
- Income-based jobseekers’ allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of state pension credit
- Child tax credit, provided that you are not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross income of £16,190 or less
- Universal credit
From September 2014, all children in Reception and Years 1 and 2 will qualify for free school meals, regardless of their family income, but only the children who would have qualified for free meals under the above income-based criteria will receive the pupil premium. If your child qualifies for free school meals, it’s important that you tell the school – even if they take a packed lunch – as this enables the school to claim pupil premium.