Pupil Premium provision
What is the Pupil Premium?
Pupil premium funding is government funding to improve education outcomes for pupils classified as ‘disadvantaged’ in schools in England. Pupil Premium is available for:
- children eligible for free school meals
- children who have had free school meals at any point in the last six years
- looked after children or children who were previously looked after
- children of parents in the Services.
How do you know if your child can access this funding?
Pupil Premium funding is provided to schools based on eligibility for Free School Meals over the last 6 years. Your child will be eligible for Free School Meals (and additional Pupil Premium funding for the school to support your child) if you or your partner are receiving any of the following benefits:
- Universal Credit (annual net income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
- Income Support (IS), Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (IBJSA) or Income-based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- 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 four weeks after you stop qualifying)
For further information contact the school office or follow the link below:
- GOV.UK Apply for free school meals
We encourage eligible parents and carers to apply so their child can have free school meals and the school can access the funding to provide additional support.
How is the Pupil Premium used at Larkmead?
At Larkmead we are committed to understanding and breaking down barriers to learning or well-being experienced by our pupils.
As a school in the Cambrian Learning Trust, Larkmead is benefitting from working with Marc Rowland, a leading figure in addressing the impact of economic disadvantage. This Trust-wide focus is supporting our strategy and provision at Larkmead.
Pupil Premium funding is not ascribed to individual students or ‘ring fenced’, but is used to implement the strategies and support to imporve outcomes and the experience of eligible pupils. Schools are free to spend the extra funding as they see fit, but the government requires schools to publish information about how they use it.
Key areas of focus:
- High quality teaching in the classroom as our universal offer
- Prioritising pupils who experience barriers in our planning and delivery in and out of the classroom
- Supporting literacy and reading
- Provision of extra-curricular opportunities
- Working with and alongside parents
- Working with and alongside a range of professionals
- Nurture support
- Prioritised access to ‘Power Hour’ after school supported study
Additional support includes:
- Financial provision for enrichment opportunities, educational clubs, extra-curricular experiences and school trips
- Support with school supplies – all students in receipt of Pupil Premium funding receive a stationery pack in Year 7, including a scientific calculator
- Support with uniform. Our school uniform has already been reviewed to reduce the number of branded items, with further reductions to come in 2026/7, an important approach to removing potential barriers and suporting our inclusive practice.
As part of our Inclusion team and alongside other staff, our Pupil Premium lead
- Ensures staff have the relevant information to support pupils
- Provides support to staff when planning specific interventions within and outside of the classroom where appropriate
- Reports to parents, governors and teaching staff
- Ensures that everyone involved is aware of current information regarding Pupil Premium and provides training where necessary
- Monitors the academic progress of Pupil Premium children
Please visit the Department of Education's Pupil Premium page for further up-to-date guidance here.
The Pupil Premium Co-ordinator at Larkmead School is Beth Costar who can be contacted via email: BCostar@LAR.CambrianLT.org
The first line of our 2024 Ofsted report is Larkmead “is a happy and inclusive school because, as one parent said, pupils ‘are at the heart of what Larkemad does’.” A key line in The Larkmead Promise is “Everyone matters and makes a difference.” These two points underpin the importance of providing support for our pupils who receive Pupil Premium funding.