Welcome to our page dedicated to Pupil Premium.  Here we hope to give you all of the information you need regarding this.  However, if you feel you need further information then please do contact the school or our Pupil Premium co-ordinator, Mrs Karen Sims.

What is the Pupil Premium?

The Pupil Premium was introduced by the Government in 2011. The pupil premium is a sum of money given to schools each year by the Government to improve the attainment of disadvantaged children. This is based on research showing that children from low-income families perform less well at school than their peers.  The pupil premium is intended to directly benefit the children who are eligible, helping to narrow the gap between them and their classmates.

Is my child eligible?

All children who currently qualify for free school meals based on their family

circumstances are entitled to pupil premium. This applies if you receive any of the following benefits:

• Universal credit (provided you have a net income of £7400 or less after tax)
• 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

If you are still not sure whether your child is eligible, we encourage you to apply.  It does not cost anything to apply and a decision is usually sent back to you and your child’s school quickly.

Children who are or have been in care, and children who have a parent who is or was in the armed forces, are also entitled to Pupil Premium. If either of these apply to you, please let us know immediately as this application is done via the school.

What if my circumstances change?

Pupils who have qualified for free school meals on the above grounds in the past, but are no longer eligible, continue to receive pupil premium for the next six years from when you first applied.  If your child qualifies for free school meals or has at any point in the past six years, it’s important that you tell us – even if they're in Reception or KS1 and receive universal school meals for infant pupils, or are in KS2 and take a packed lunch – as this could enable them to claim Pupil Premium.

How do I apply?

Applying is very easy and can be done online.  Please follow the link which will take you to the online form: Somerset County Council

Alternatively, you can contact the school for a paper copy.

Remember, as a parent/guardian you want the best for your child and so if this is something you are entitled to, then why wouldn’t you want to have it for them?

How does Stoberry Park School spend Pupil Premium money?

Every year, we issue a report on our website which shows how we spend and intend to spend our Pupil Premium money for the last and new academic year. We review the effectiveness of our funding annually. We consider the needs of our Pupil Premium children as individuals.  We recognise that are children often have a variety of needs and this is not always just academic.  We want to make sure our children thrive emotionally, socially and physically too. 

Therefore, our money is spent in a variety of ways including:

• Providing music lessons for children whose families would be unable to pay for them.
• Funding educational trips and visits.
• Employing extra teaching assistants to work with classes.
• Investing in resources that boost children’s learning, such as laptops or tablets.

The needs and the way we spend our Pupil Premium money changes each year but we are committed to providing your child with the best education and support we can.  We also look at research to see how cost effective our choices are and how much of an impact they will have.  Often, whole school resources will benefit children not eligible for Pupil Premium too.