The Government believes that the Pupil Premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM), Service Children (SC) and children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months (CIC) and their peers (Non free school meals-Non FSM) by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most. In most cases, the Pupil Premium is allocated to schools and is clearly identifiable.
It is for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium, allocated to schools per FSM pupil, is spent since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility. Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit. However, they will be held accountable in how they have used the additional funding to support pupils from low income families. New measures are included in the performance tables that capture the achievement of those deprived covered by the Pupil Premium.
From September 2012, the Government required schools to publish online information about how they have used the premium. This ensures that parents and all other interested parties are made fully aware of the attainment for this group of pupils.
