The Pupil Premium is an allocation of additional funding provided to schools to support specific groups of children who are vulnerable to possible underachievement. These include pupils who are entitled to free school meals - allocated to pupils who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children and armed forces service children.

The government believes that the pupil premium is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible and their peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most. Schools have the freedom to spend the Pupil Premium in a way they believe will best support the raising of attainment and help overcome barriers to learning for the most vulnerable pupils.

DFE Funding for financial year 2023 to 2024

The DfE will allocate the following amounts of Pupil Premium to schools and local authorities for eligible pupils:

• £1,455 per pupil for each Ever 6 FSM FTE pupil aged 4 and over in year groups reception to year 6, except where the pupil is allocated the LAC or post-LAC premium
• £1,035 per pupil for each Ever 6 FSM FTE in year groups 7 to 11, except where the pupil is allocated the LAC or post-LAC Premium
• £2,530 per pupil for each post-LAC in year groups reception to year 11
• £335 for each pupil aged 4 and over in year groups reception to year 11 who is either Ever 6 service child FTE or in receipt of pensions under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and the War Pensions Scheme (WPS)

For pupils recorded aged 5 and over on the school census, PPG will be allocated on the basis of sole and dual main registrations only.