The pupil premium is additional funding given to state-funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers.
There are four elements to pupil premium:
- Free school meal eligibility.
- Service children.
- Adopted from care, special guardianship order and residence order.
- Children in care.
Any qualifying family that registers their eligibility (based on the free school meal criteria) will help raise pupil premium money for the school. For 2024/25, the additional funding will be £1,480 for a primary school, for each registered child.
Do I need to apply for pupil premium? (based on free school meal criteria)
You only need to apply if you have a child in reception, year 1 or year 2 and both of the following apply:
- You do not have an existing free school meal claim.
- You are in receipt of any of the qualifying benefits (see School meals for a list of the qualifying benefits).
How to apply
The Citizen Portal is the quickest and easiest way to apply and will result in you getting an instant decision.
Parents and carers can also ring the Education Helpline on 0345 155 1019.