Purpose

Pupil Premium (PP) grant provides funding for the purpose of improving the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils. Schools must use their PP grant to accelerate disadvantaged pupils’ progress, in order to raise their attainment. This will contribute to closing the national attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.

The portion of PP grant for pupils from service families is referred to as service pupil premium (SPP). Pupils eligible for SPP are not necessarily financially disadvantaged and the funding is for schools to provide mainly pastoral support.  

Funding rates for 2025-26 

The amount of pupil premium funding schools and local authorities receive for each eligible child is:

• £570 for Early Years pupils
• £1515 for pupils who are eligible for free school meals, or have been eligible in the past 6 years
• £2630 for pupils who have been adopted from care of have left care
• £2630 for children who are looked after by the local authority (please note - this is managed by the Virtual School Head)
• £350 for children who have a parent serving in HM Forces or who has retired on a pension from the Ministry of Defence (to help with pastoral support)

Use of the Pupil Premium

It is up to school leaders to decide how to spend the pupil premium, drawing on evidence of effective practice. Schools do not have to spend pupil premium so it solely benefits eligible pupils.  They can use it wherever they identify the greatest needs. 

Evidence suggests that pupil premium spending is most effective when schools use a tiered approach, targeting spending across 3 areas, with a particular focus on teaching.

1. Teaching

Investing in high-quality teaching, for example:

• training and professional development for teachers
• recruitment and retention
• support for teachers early in their careers

2.  Targeted academic support

Additional support for some pupils focused on their specific needs, for example:

• one to one group tuition
• small group tuition
• speech and language therapy

3. Wider approaches

Support for non academic issues that impact success in school, such as attendance, behaviour and social and emotional challenges.  For example:

• school breakfast clubs
• counselling to support emotional health and well-being
• help with the cost of educational trips or visits

Accountability

Schools must show how they're using their Pupil Premium funding:

• by publishing an online statement about how they use Pupil Premium funding effectively
• through inspections by Ofsted
• through Virtual School Annual Reports (written by Virtual School Heads)