What is the Pupil Premium?

Pupil Premium is funding provided by the government to help schools support disadvantaged pupils and improve their educational outcomes.

Important Documents

Online FSM Eligibility Checker

Current Pupil Premium Strategy Statement

Who is eligible for Pupil Premium?

Pupil Premium funding is allocated to schools based on the number of pupils who:

• are currently eligible for Targeted Free School Meals (FSM), or have been eligible for FSM at any point during the last six years (Ever 6 FSM)
• have previously been looked after by a local authority or in other forms of state care, including children who have been adopted from state care

Being eligible for Pupil Premium does not mean that a pupil will automatically receive individual or additional support. Instead, the funding allows us to put strategies and support in place based on the needs of our pupils.

Our approach to Pupil Premium

We recognise that no single intervention can remove every barrier a pupil may face. Instead, we use a range of approaches to provide a joined-up, multi-layered approach to support.

Our strategies are informed by:

• Academic research and evidence, including work from the Sutton Trust and Education Endowment Foundation (EEF)
• Our knowledge of our pupils and their individual needs
• Feedback from pupils and families
• Information about attainment, progress, attendance, behaviour and engagement

We carefully track and review the impact of our approaches so that we can identify what is working and where further support may be needed. Staff across the Academy play an important role in this. Teachers, pastoral staff and other colleagues are encouraged to identify barriers to learning and help ensure that pupils receive the right support at the right time.

As the Pupil Premium is not an individual budget for each eligible pupil schools have flexibility to use the funding in ways that are most likely to have a positive impact. The Academy Pupil Premium Charter sets out some of the benefits and opportunities available to pupils in the Pupil Premium cohort. 

The Chellaston Pupil Premium Charter

A student in the Pupil Premium cohort at Chellaston Academy can expect to benefit from some of the following:

 

• Academic and Pastoral support
• Help with uniform and essential equipment
• Access extra teaching assistants who work with classes
• Numeracy and Literacy Support
• One-to-one or small-group support within the classroom
• Enrichment activities and external workshops
• Support with mental health and wellbeing
• General curriculum support
• Academic Intervention sessions
• Reduced group sizes
• Resources to boost learning and engagement, such as iPads, laptops, or tablets

 

Many of the approaches we put in place do benefit all students. For example, investment in high-quality inclusive teaching, reading, resources, enrichment and wider school approaches can benefit students across a whole class, year group or the Academy.

Why is high-quality inclusive teaching so important?

We believe that every pupil should have the opportunity to flourish, both academically and beyond the classroom. High-quality inclusive teaching is at the heart of our approach to Pupil Premium. Research shows that improving teaching and learning can have a significant impact on pupil progress, which is why we invest a large proportion of our Pupil Premium funding in developing teaching across the Academy. Our focus is therefore not simply on providing additional interventions for individual pupils. We believe that ensuring pupils experience high-quality inclusive teaching every day, alongside targeted support where it is needed, is one of the most important ways we can improve outcomes for pupils in the Pupil Premium cohort.

Ultimately, our aim is simple: to remove barriers, improve outcomes and ensure that pupils in the Pupil Premium cohort have every opportunity to succeed.

Pupil Premium Plus (PP+)

If your child has previously been in care, additional funding may be available to support their education. This is known as Pupil Premium Plus (PP+). It is available for eligible pupils from Reception to Year 11 who were previously looked after or who left care in England or Wales through:

• An adoption order
• A Special Guardianship Order (SGO)
• A Child Arrangements Order (formerly a Residence Order)

What do parents need to do?

Your child’s previous care status may not always be known to the Academy. If you believe your child may be eligible for Pupil Premium Plus, please let us know so that we can check their eligibility and apply for the funding. Please contact J.amps@chellaston.derby.sch.uk if you think your child may be eligible.

You will need to provide documentary evidence, such as the relevant court order, so that we can verify that your child has previously been in public care in England or Wales. We only need to see and verify the document. We do not need to keep a copy on our records.

If you are unsure whether your child meets the criteria, please contact us and we will be happy to help.

Service Pupil Premium (SPP)

Service Pupil Premium (SPP) provides additional support for children and young people whose families are serving in the Armed Forces. This funding is included within the Academy’s overall Pupil Premium funding and can be used to support the specific needs of service children. Service Pupil Premium is not linked to family income, so a child may receive this support even if their family is not considered financially disadvantaged.