Pupil Premium

The pupil premium is additional funding for publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils of all abilities and to close the gaps between them and their peers.

School’s are given pupil premium for:

• Children who have qualified for free school meals at any point in the past six years and children of armed service personnel. 
• Children who have been looked after under local authority care for more than one day. 

Schools can choose how to spend their pupil premium money as they are best placed to identify what would be of most benefit to the children who are eligible.

At Mersey Drive we have analysed our barriers to learning and established key aims which our pupil premium strategy works to address.

Key Aims

Evidence suggests that pupil premium spending is most effective when used across 3 areas:

1. High-quality teaching, such as staff professional development
2. Targeted academic support, such as tutoring
3. Wider strategies to address non-academic barriers to success in schools, such as attendance, behaviour, and social and emotional support

The current key aims identified in our Pupil Premium Strategy are:

• To ensure all our children benefit from an inclusive ethos, excellent teaching and a broad and balanced curriculum that is well sequenced and underpinned by strong leadership.
• To raise the attainment of disadvantaged children of all abilities with a sustained focus on improving the life chances of the least fortunate so that they may reach their potential, regardless of their background. To support pupils to diminish the gap presented after Covid-19.
• To provide additional support to all ‘vulnerable’ children, not just those eligible for PPG.
• To raise standards in high quality teaching and learning in order to improve pupil attainment.
• To improve staff awareness and skill in responding to the needs of disadvantaged pupils. To proactively give assistance to access support for our most vulnerable families (Early Help).
• For all children to become confident individuals and responsible citizens.
• For all children to be supported and encouraged to lead healthy and active lives.
• For our families to have their needs met through robust pastoral support systems

Pupil Eligibility

In order to be eligible for pupil premium, your child must be registered as eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last 6 years. All pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 are eligible for universal free school meals. Being in receipt of universal free school meals does not entitle your child to pupil premium. 

Your child may be eligible for free school meals if you get any of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided 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 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

If you receive any of the benefits listed above, then you should inform your local authority here Free School Meals Register, even if your child is currently in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2 and receiving universal feww school meals. This will then release additional funding to school.

Our Pupil Premium Strategy can be found below.