Pupil Premium

Pupil Premium at St Michael’s Catholic Primary School and Nursery

At St Michael’s, we are committed to ensuring that every child—regardless of background—has the opportunity to thrive academically, emotionally, and socially. Pupil Premium funding enables us to remove barriers to learning and ensure that all pupils can reach their full potential. Our aim is to provide a rich, ambitious curriculum that places wellbeing at the heart of all we do. We carefully tailor support through high‑quality teaching, targeted intervention, pastoral care, and access to wider enrichment opportunities.

Our priority is to narrow the attainment gap between Pupil Premium and non‑Pupil Premium pupils in Reading, Writing and Maths. To support this, we:

Allocate and ring‑fence Pupil Premium funding to meet the needs of our pupils.
Have clear leadership responsibility for Pupil Premium, overseen by a senior leader and a link governor.
Ensure all staff are aware of focus pupils and school priorities across year groups and subjects.
Use funding to enhance provision for all Pupil Premium pupils—whether they need academic stretch, targeted support, or pastoral care.

We remain committed to building an inclusive and supportive school environment where all children can flourish. If you have questions regarding Pupil Premium support at our school, please get in touch with us.

What is Pupil Premium?

Pupil Premium is government funding given to schools to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Research shows that pupils facing disadvantage may experience barriers to learning that can lead to lower achievement.

The funding was introduced in April 2011 and is allocated to pupils in three main groups:

Looked After Children (LAC) – those in local authority care
Children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) at any point in the last six years
Children of Armed Forces personnel

Schools have the responsibility to use this funding effectively and to report on:

how the funding has been spent
the impact of the previous year’s spending
the strategy for the current academic year

Further information on Pupil Premium can be found below:

https://www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium/pupil-premium

How to Check Eligibility for Free School Meals

Parents who wish to determine their child's eligibility for Free School Meals can do so conveniently through the following methods:

Online Check: The quickest and easiest way to check eligibility is by visiting the following online link: Free School Meals Eligibility Check. This online service is user-friendly and accessible.
Assistance from Office Team: If you prefer assistance, a member of our Office Team can help guide you through the eligibility verification process.

For the online check, you will need to provide the following information:

Your name
Address
National Insurance number or Asylum Support Service number
Your child's name
Your child's date of birth
The name of the school your child is attending

Eligibility Criteria

Your child will be eligible for Free School Meals, along with additional support through the Pupil Premium Grant, if one or more of the following criteria apply to you:

Employment and Support Allowance (income-related)
Income Support
Jobseeker's Allowance (income-based)
The Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Child Tax Credit
Working Tax Credit (run-on paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)
Universal Credit

Please note that you will not be entitled to Free School Meals if you receive any element of Working Tax Credit or if your annual household income (as determined by HMRC) exceeds £16,190.

To begin the eligibility check for Free School Meals, please click here to complete the online registration.

We encourage parents to explore this opportunity, as it can provide valuable support for your child's education and wellbeing. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our school office.

Important Note: Universal Free School Meals and Pupil Premium Free School Meals

It's essential to understand the distinction between Universal Free School Meals offered at Key Stage 1 (KS1) and Pupil Premium Free School Meals. These two should not be confused, as they serve different purposes.

Here's the clarification:

Universal Free School Meals at KS1: This initiative provides free school meals to all students in Key Stage 1, regardless of their family's income or financial situation. It is available to all KS1 students as a universal benefit.
Pupil Premium Free School Meals: On the other hand, Pupil Premium Free School Meals are specifically designed for eligible families. This program allows eligible parents to apply for Free School Meals, and if approved, it provides additional funding to the school through the Pupil Premium grant.

It's crucial to recognise that even if a student in KS1 is entitled to Universal Free School Meals, their family may still be eligible to apply for Free School Meals. By doing so, the school can access the Pupil Premium funding, which is a vital financial resource for schools.

Pupil Premium funding is an important stream of support for schools, and it presents an excellent opportunity for eligible parents to access additional assistance for their children's education and overall well-being.

If you have any questions or require further clarification on these meal schemes, please feel free to contact our school office. We are here to support and assist you in making the most of the opportunities available to your child.

How will the school use Pupil Premium funding?

The DfE (Department for Education) require schools to publish on their website the following things:

How funding was spent in the previous academic year and the impact it had on eligible and other pupils.
The Pupil Premium strategy for the current academic year.

This includes information about:

the amount of the school’s allocation of pupil premium grant
details of the main barriers to educational achievement
how the allocation will be spent to address the barriers and why these approaches were taken
how the school will measure the impact of the pupil premium
the date of the next pupil premium strategy review.
This can be found in our Pupil Premium Policy

Pupil Premium Strategy

Schools Financial Benchmarking

Compare a school or trust's income and expenditure with similar establishments in England. You can view your school or academy trust's financial data, see how it compares with others and use the information to establish relationships with other schools or multi-academy trusts.

Financial Benchmarking on gov.uk website
Search for our URN 151494

New Statutory Reporting

Staff Earnings

No staff member has a gross salary of more than £100,000.