What is the Pupil Premium?

The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011. It was allocated to children from low-income families who were known to be eligible for free school meals, and children who had been looked after continuously for more than six months. Eligibility for the Pupil Premium for 2012–13 was extended to pupils who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years (known as the Ever6 Free School Meals measure). Schools also receive funding for children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months, and a smaller amount for the children of service personnel.

Information regarding Pupil Premium can be found on the links below.

• What is the rationale behind it?

  According to the Department for Education website:

  The Government believes that the Pupil Premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their wealthier peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most.

  In most cases the Pupil Premium is allocated to schools and is clearly identifiable. 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.

• What is Greenbank High School doing?

  The provision allows Greenbank to be completely flexible in ensuring that the most suitable and pertinent interventions are put in place to help narrow the gap between FSM pupils and their counterparts. It is our intention to ensure that pupils will be able to benefit from the widest choice of opportunities and support to ensure that they develop academically and personally and that these interventions are individualised to best suit the needs of every eligible pupil.

  At Greenbank High School we have introduced and developed a variety of intervention strategies to help support students who have qualified for the Pupil Premium. We have studied the Sutton Trust Report which is a Teaching and Learning Toolkit which provides guidance for teachers and schools on how to use their resources to improve the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. See documents below.

• Can parents apply for funding?

  Decisions on individual funding requests will be decided using various criteria such as: behaviour, attendance, punctuality, progress and a pupil’s individual needs. See documents attached to access funding.

  Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit. However, they are accountable for how they use the additional funding to support pupils from low-income families and the other target groups. New measures have been included in the performance tables that show the achievement of pupils who attract the Pupil Premium.

• Strategy Statement

  The attached documents show the impact of the Pupil Premium funding at Greenbank.

  Disadvantaged strategy statement 2024-27 (1)

   

• How can I find out more about Pupil Premium at Greenbank?

  Please contact Miss Cullen for further information about Pupil Premium at Greenbank High School

• How do I apply for free school meals?

  As a Sefton resident, you are eligible for free school meals if you receive any of the following benefits:

  • Universal Credit and have a net household income of less than £7400 per annum
  • Income Support
  • Income based Jobseekers Allowance
  • Income related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Child Tax  Credit ONLY (not entitled/receiving Working Tax Credit) and have an income of less that £16190.00
  • Guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
  • Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for the four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
  • Support under VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act

  If you are on a qualifying benefit and do not already receive free school meals, we urge you to make a formal application as soon as possible. This can benefit your child’s school as they can claim extra funding (Pupil Premium). Currently Sefton are providing vouchers to families during the school holidays if you are eligible for Free School Meals.

  Nursery/ Pre- school

  If you or your partner are in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits and your child attends a Nursery all day at least one day a week, they could be eligible for free school meals.

  Post 16 (6^th form)

  You will be entitled to claim free school meals if your child is 16 or over and attending a school 6^th form.

  Post 16 (FE College)

  You will need to speak to the college directly to see what the policy is regarding claiming free school meals.

  Vouchers will continue to be provided during the six weeks holidays if you are already eligible for free school meals. Please contact your school for more information. This includes leavers in year 11.

  How to apply

  If you are not already in receipt of free school meals, parents can apply here by filling in the application form.