What is the Pupil Premium?

Introduced in 2011, the Pupil Premium is additional government funding given to schools each year to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. It is based on research showing that children from low-income families often achieve less well at school than their peers.

Children eligible for the Pupil Premium can face a range of barriers to learning, such as underdeveloped language and communication skills, limited support at home, low confidence, and difficulties with attendance and punctuality. The funding provides targeted support for these pupils, with the aim of closing the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their classmates.

Pupil Premium funding rates

Schools receive the following funding for each eligible pupil in the 2026–27 financial year (April 2026 to March 2027):

The service child rate is paid in addition to any other Pupil Premium a child attracts.

How is the Pupil Premium spent?

Schools decide how best to use their Pupil Premium, choosing from a range of evidence-based approaches set out by the Department for Education. These include:

Academic support

• extra one-to-one or small-group support in class
• additional teaching assistants working with classes
• catch-up sessions before or after school in reading, writing and maths
• extra tuition, including for higher-attaining pupils preparing for SATs
• support for children who speak another language at home

Wider strategies

• breakfast club provision to support attendance
• music lessons for children whose families could not otherwise pay for them
• educational trips and visits
• additional support such as speech and language therapy
• resources that boost learning, such as laptops or tablets

Research shows that the Pupil Premium helps narrow the gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers, particularly in English and maths. Often the whole class benefits, for example when the funding pays for an extra teaching assistant.

You can read exactly how Sparken Hill Academy uses its funding in our Pupil Premium Strategy Statement.

Free school meals: what changed in September 2026

From September 2026, free school meals were extended to every family receiving Universal Credit. There are now two groups:

• Free school meals for all Universal Credit families. Any child in a household receiving Universal Credit can have a free school meal, whatever the household income.
• Free school meals and Pupil Premium. Children in households receiving Universal Credit with an earned income of less than £7,400 a year (after tax, not counting benefits) receive free school meals and bring Pupil Premium funding to the school. The same applies to families receiving any of the other benefits listed below.

This means some families now qualify for free meals but not for Pupil Premium. Whichever group you are in, please register with us so that your child receives everything they are entitled to.

Is my child eligible for free school meals and Pupil Premium?

Your child is likely to bring Pupil Premium funding to the school if you receive any of the following:

• Universal Credit, with a household earned income of less than £7,400 a year (after tax, not counting benefits)
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit

Children who receive these benefits in their own right, rather than through a parent or carer, can also qualify.

Universal Infant Free School Meals

All children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 automatically receive free school meals, whatever their family income. However, if your family meets the criteria above, it is still very important to register, because this is how the school receives Pupil Premium funding for your child.

Why registration matters

Even if your child has a packed lunch, please register if you are eligible. This allows Sparken Hill Academy to claim Pupil Premium funding that directly supports your child's education.

How to apply

Contact the school office and we will guide you through the simple registration process:

• Telephone: 01909 534060
• Email: office@sparkenhill.com

Important notes

• Ever 6: once your child is registered, they continue to attract Pupil Premium funding for up to six years, even if your circumstances change.
• Confidential: all applications are handled in confidence.
• No stigma: free school meal eligibility is common. Around one in four pupils nationally (26.5%) is eligible.
• Further help: registering can also open up other support, such as help with uniform costs and school trips.

For more information, or to begin registering, please contact the school office.