Pupil Premium

What is pupil premium?

The Government introduced the Pupil Premium Grant in 2011 to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their wealthier peers, by ensuring funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most. Schools have the freedom to decide how the Pupil Premium is spent in order to diminish the difference of attainment, opportunities and life chances for these pupils on an individual basis.

For the financial year 2023-24 schools receive:

  • £1,320 per pupil who is registered as being eligible for free school meals or was registered at some point no more than 6 years previously.
  • £2,300 per pupil who were Looked-after children (LAC) defined in the Children Act 1989 as one who is in the care of, or provided with accommodation by, an English local authority or children who have ceased to be looked after by a local authority in England and Wales because of adoption, a special guardianship order, a child arrangements order or a residence order
  • £300 per pupil with parents in the armed forces

All schools decide how the Pupil Premium is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility.

At St Bonaventure’s Primary School we support all our pupils. We do this by providing high quality classroom teaching supplemented by interventions to support vulnerable learners as and when required. The School Leadership Team and Governing Body monitor the impact of all spending and interventions, including the Pupil Premium. The nature of some of the interventions that we run means that many have benefited additional children who do not receive Pupil Premium funding.

We are very proud of the way in which we support out most vulnerable children both emotionally and academically. We continue to review and refine the ways in which we spend the pupil premium grant in order to support these children.

How do I find out if my child is eligible?

You can either use the Pupil Premium checker on School Gateway, or look at the list of benefits/criteria below to see if your child has any of these.  If your child is in Reception and Yrs 1 and 2 you can fill out the Pupil Premium Checker Form below and return to the school office, and we will check for you. 

If your child is in years 3-6, you need to apply for free school meals to trigger pupil premium funding (unless your child is adopted, or was ever in care, or if you or your partner are in the Armed Forces). Please apply online using the following link: Application for Free School Meals

What do I do if my child if adopted/was ever in care/comes from a family in the armed services? 

Please inform the school in writing about your circumstances and we will add you to the pupil premium database. We may require some further evidence to verify your situation, but we will notify you about this at the time. Alternatively, call into the office and talk to a member of staff. 

What happens if my child is eligible?

Please get in touch with the school to tell us whether you would like a discount on your one off payment, or if you would rather have five After School Club or five Breakfast Club sessions.


List of benefits related to pupil premium

  • Income Support

  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

  • Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999                     

  • The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit

  • Child Tax Credit (as long as you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)

  • Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

  • Universal Credit.

  • If your child is adopted

  • If your child has ever been in care

  • If you or your partner are a member of the Armed forces (this entitles your child to a reduced amount of pupil premium).