A guide to Pupil Premium
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A guide to Pupil Premium
AqonTutors partners with schools where the percentage of pupils eligible for Pupil Premium funding is above the national average. This helps to ensure that our tutoring support is offered to where it’s needed most.
But what is the Pupil Premium? This guide explains what it is, who’s eligible and how it can be spent.
What is Pupil Premium?
The Pupil Premium is a government programme implemented in 2011, following the publication of several research papers showing a significant gap between the educational performance of children facing disadvantage and their more affluent peers. Schools receive additional funding for each pupil they have registered for free school meals.
Pupils from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds can often face additional challenges in school. These can include a limited access to learning resources, issues with attendance and social exclusion.
The attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is exactly why AqonTutors exists. A disproportionate amount of young people eligible for Pupil Premium leave school each year without basic qualifications in English and maths.
Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds aren’t less capable to perform well in school. But, they aren’t always given the same tools to achieve the grades that open doors to future opportunities, such as further education and training.
We pride ourselves on our evidence-based approach to supporting pupils. We use baseline assessments and progress checks to monitor the impact our tutoring is having, and capture the final exam results of our pupils and to compare against the national average for disadvantaged pupils.
Who is eligible for Pupil Premium?
Eligibility for Pupil Premium is usually dictated by family circumstances, such as income or professional status, or whether the child is in care. Currently, children who are eligible for free school meals based on their family circumstances are entitled to the Pupil Premium. This applies if they are entitled to any of the following benefits:
- Universal credit
- Income support
- Income-based jobseekers’ allowance
- Income-related employment and support allowance
- Support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of state pension credit
- Child tax credit, provided that you are not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross income of £16,190 or less
Pupils who previously qualified for free school meals but are no longer eligible will continue to receive Pupil Premium for the next six years. It is essential that parents notify the school that their child is eligible for the school to receive the additional funding.
How do schools spend the Pupil Premium?
Schools decide how best to allocate the funds, and should focus on benefitting the children who are eligible for Pupil Premium.
Schools must demonstrate that the financial support is being used effectively through Ofsted checks and annual review reports. This includes transparency on how much money they have been granted, how they plan to spend the premium, and the impact it has made.
You can read about Pupil Premium funding, including the current rates and payment schedule, here.
Are you a state school?
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to work with us. We have over 3 years of a proven impact and our high-quality tutors can make a real difference to the pupils facing disadvantage at your school.
Our Programme Coordinators oversee every tutoring session that takes place, acting as a point of contact between the school and the volunteers on the programme. They ensure that feedback on pupil progress is passed on to both groups to ensure quality of learning outcomes.
You can find out more information about how you can get involved by contacting us directly.
Tutoring sessions
Tutoring is an extremely effective tool to improve pupils’ grades. The Education Endowment Foundation calculated that an intense programme of one-to-one tuition could add up to five months’ progress to a young person’s schooling.
Small-group tuition works because it is tailored to individual needs and can address misconceptions at the source, while providing a safe space for pupils with low confidence to speak up and learn from their mistakes.