Pupil Premium

Pupil Premium

Children who are deemed as vulnerable by the Government are entitled to receive Pupil Premium Funding. Sir Michael Wilshaw, Ofsted's Chief Inspector, said the fund needs to “help disadvantaged children to achieve as well as their more prosperous peers”. 

The initiative is intended to help to narrow the attainment gap between all children and provide extra support where required. The school will receive Pupil Premium based on the number of children in the following groups:

• pupils entitled to free school meals (FSM) now or at any point during the past six years.
• pupils who have been continuously Looked After for the past six months.
• pupils who are adopted from care under the Adoption and Children Act 2002 or have left care under a Special Guardianship Residence Order.
• pupils of parents who are currently, or during the past three years, serving in the regular armed forces, or are in receipt of a pension from the MOD.

Schools have the freedom to spend the funding in a way they think will best support the raising of attainment for Pupil Premium pupils.

Supporting Every Child Through Pupil Premium Funding

At Cliffedale Primary School, we are committed to the highest ambitions for all our pupils, regardless of their background or personal circumstances. We recognise that some children face additional barriers to learning and engagement, and we work proactively to remove these obstacles.

What is Pupil Premium?
The Pupil Premium is additional funding provided by the government, introduced in 2011–2012, allocated to schools based on the number of pupils eligible for Free School Meals (FSM). This funding helps us to provide targeted support to disadvantaged pupils, ensuring they have equal access to high-quality education and the full range of school experiences.

How We Use Pupil Premium at Cliffedale:

• We prioritise high-quality teaching for all pupils, reflecting our school vision of fostering a nurturing and stimulating learning environment.
• We implement structured academic and pastoral interventions tailored to the needs of individual pupils, helping to close attainment gaps.
• We offer wider support initiatives such as assistance with school uniform, educational visits, and enriching extracurricular activities to ensure all pupils can participate fully in school life.

Our approach aligns with the Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) tiered model, focusing first on excellent classroom teaching, then targeted support, and finally wider strategies to overcome non-academic barriers.

Find Out More

To learn about our detailed plans and how we are using Pupil Premium funding to benefit our pupils, please view our full Pupil Premium Strategy Statement. This document outlines our ambitions, approaches, and the impact of our work, reflecting our commitment to transparency and continuous improvement.