The pupil premium is additional funding for publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers.
"It is for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium, allocated to schools per FSM pupil, is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility. Source – DfE website"
We have high aspirations and ambitions for our students and believe that no student should be left behind. We believe it is not about where you come from but your passion and thirst for knowledge, and your dedication and commitment to learning that make the difference between success and failure. We value growth mind-sets and the belief that hard work can allow everyone to develop, improve and make progress. We are determined to ensure that our students are given every chance to realise their full potential. Pupil premium funding, along with allocations made from the schools own budget will help ensure this money is spent to maximum effect.
Pupil Premium Spending
Using research, such as the EEF Toolkit, we can determine the strategies that will be most effective. Pupil premium money provides a range of additional support for students and these interventions, along with quality first teaching have a positive impact on student’s attainment and self-belief. Through targeted interventions we are working hard to eliminate barriers to learning and progress. We aim is to ensure that all students make good or better progress as they move through the school.
Information for parents and carers
In place of the current requirements regarding information about pupil premium expenditure, schools are now required to publish their ‘Pupil Premium Statement.’
For further information regarding pupil premium for children of service families, please follow this link: .
How we measure the impact of Pupil Premium
Data is collected on students’ progress at four points throughout the academic year. This data is analysed to identify the progress of whole cohorts, classes, key groups of students and individuals. Review meetings use this data to identify gaps between the performance of pupil premium and non-pupil premium students and enable the early identification of need, support and appropriate intervention.
At each point, we review the impact of actions taken and will plan for how the progress of students who are under performing can be accelerated, and whether funding is required to support this. When selecting students for Pupil Premium support, we look at all students across the school. There are some students who are not eligible for pupil premium who will benefit from this support if their needs are similar and we believe progress can be made towards individual targets . Annual reviews evaluate the impact of pupil premium spend and decisions on future spending will be made upon the impact of this spend.
The designated staff member for Pupil Premium is Mrs G Kendall.
Financial Year 2023-24
In this financial year schools will receive £1035 for students in Years 7 to 11 for each child registered as eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.
Schools also receive £2530 for each student who left local authority care because of one of the following: adoption, a special guardianship order, a child arrangement order or a residence order. If a student was registered as eligible for free school meals and left local authority care for any of the reasons above, they attract the £2530 rate.
Children who were in local authority care for one day or more also attracted £2530 of pupil premium funding. Funding for these students does not go to their school; it goes to the virtual school head (VSH) in the local authority that looks after the child. VSHs are responsible for managing pupil premium funding for looked-after children.
Further Information
Your child may be able to get free school meals if you get any of the following:
Children who get paid these benefits directly, instead of through a parent or carer, can also get free school meals.
Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits and your child is both:
Free school meals will only be awarded on receipt of a completed, approved application form and will commence from that date. Applications cannot be backdated. Parents need to complete one application form for all children, even if they attend different schools within Herefordshire Council’s jurisdiction. Applications can only be made for children attending a school within the Herefordshire local authority. If your child attends a school in a different authority, your application for Free School Meals should be made to that authority, even if you reside within Herefordshire.
Application Form
To apply on line please click here.
Alternatively you can print a Free School Meals Application Form and send it to:
Revenues and Benefits Services, Herefordshire Council, Plough Lane, Hereford. HR4 0LE
The Department for Education (DfE) introduced the Service pupil premium (SPP) in April 2011 in recognition of the specific challenges children from service families face and as part of the commitment to delivering the armed forces covenant.
State schools, academies and free schools in England, which have children of service families in school years reception to year 11, can receive the SPP funding. It is designed to assist the school in providing the additional support that these children may need and is currently worth £335 per service child who meets the eligibility criteria.
The SPP is there for schools to provide mainly pastoral support for services students during challenging times, such as when a parent is deployed and not to subsidise school trips or other routine school activities.
At Whitecross we have used the funds to enable us to appoint a designated mentor who supports our services students and acts as a point of contact between school and home, making it easier for our service families to let us know when the family circumstances have changed.
We rely on parents communicating this to school. If do want to make us aware, then you can either call on 01432 376080 or if more convenient you are welcome to send an email to Mrs Davis.
Should you require any further support below is a website has been produced by the local education sub group of the Community Covenant team, which has a wealth of information for Service families.
Herefordshire-service-pupil-premium-resource-directory
Eligibility criteria
Pupils attract SPP if they meet one of the following criteria:
Children have to be flagged as service children ahead of the autumn school census deadline. Service parents need to make the school aware of their status.
The premium was extended , such that any pupil in reception to year 11, who has been flagged as a service child since the 2016 autumn school census, will continue to receive the premium (Ever 6 service child).
Ex service personnel should tell the school if they left the armed forces within the last 6 years. Under the DfE’s ever measure, schools will continue to receive SPP for up to 6 years for children whose parent(s) left the armed forces, provided the children were recorded as service children in a school census from 2016 onwards (prior to their parent(s) leaving the forces). The ever measure also applies when service parents divorce or separate or when a service parent dies in service.