The Pupil Premium is a Government initiative designed to address the under‐achievement of our most disadvantaged children, nominally those who are (or have been) eligible for free school meals (FSM), or are looked after by the Local Authority.

It is up to schools to decide how best to use this additional funding, however, they must report how it is used to parents in a transparent manner, and evaluate its impact on students eligible for free school meals.

While the number of students receiving free school meals determines the funding for a specific school, this should be regarded as a ‘proxy indicator’, as schools are required to narrow any attainment gap by addressing the underachievement of any cohort or group of students. In short, the Pupil Premium will be used to address the underachievement of any student, not just those students who attract specific funding.