What is Pupil Premium?

The Government provides additional funding to schools, known as Pupil Premium, to support children from lower-income families or those facing challenging circumstances. This funding sits alongside, and is separate from, a school's core budget, ensuring that targeted support reaches the children who need it most.

Research consistently shows that this approach is one of the most effective ways to address the inequalities that can exist between children from different backgrounds. At Cheapside, we are best placed to understand the individual needs of our pupils, and so we take great care in deciding how this funding is used, always with the goal of making a meaningful difference to each child's experience and outcomes.

At Cheapside CE Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that all pupils, regardless of their background or the challenges they face, make good progress and achieve highly across all areas of the curriculum. Our Pupil Premium strategy is designed to support our disadvantaged pupils in reaching that goal – including those who are already high attainers and deserve the opportunity to excel further.

We are fully accountable for how this funding is used and are transparent in sharing that information with our school community. Below, you will find details of our Pupil Premium Grant allocation and how it is being invested in our children. Further information is also available on the Department for Education website.

Eligibility for Free School Meals

The majority of our pupil premium is spent on strategies to raise attainment and close any gaps for disadvantaged children.

All pupils in Reception and Years 1-2 receive free school meals. These are known as "universal free school meals". If your child is in Years 3-6, they could be eligible for free school meals if you receive any of these benefits:

• - Income support
• - Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• - Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• - Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• -The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• -Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• -Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• -Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

Children who get paid these benefits directly (instead of through a parent or guardian) can also get free school meals. Your child may also get free school meals if you get any of these benefits, and your child is both:

• - Younger than the compulsory age for starting school
• - In full-time education.

Check your eligibility if you believe that your child(ren) are eligible for free school meals.

Applying for Pupil Premium and Free School Meals

Our office team will be able to advise and help you with the application process. Please do ask at reception for guidance which will be given discreetly and in confidence. It is really important that families complete our school's registration form because a child may be eligible for extra funding.