What Is Pupil Premium?
Pupil premium is additional funding given to schools in England to help them improve the attainment and outcomes of disadvantaged pupils. It was introduced in 2011 and has become one of the most significant funding mechanisms in education.
The funding is based on the number of pupils who:
- Are registered for free school meals (or have been at any point in the last 6 years — known as "Ever 6 FSM")
- Are looked-after children (in local authority care)
- Are previously looked-after (adopted from care or under special guardianship)
- Have a parent in the armed forces (service premium)
How Much Do Schools Receive?
For 2025/26, schools receive:
| Category | Funding per pupil |
|---|---|
| Primary FSM (Ever 6) | £1,455 |
| Secondary FSM (Ever 6) | £1,035 |
| Looked-after children | £2,530 |
| Previously looked-after | £2,530 |
| Service children | £340 |
For a primary school with 50 eligible pupils, that's an additional £72,750 per year — a significant amount that can fund targeted support programmes, additional staff, resources, and activities.
How Is It Spent?
Schools have considerable freedom in how they spend pupil premium, but they must demonstrate that the funding is being used effectively to narrow the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.
Common uses include:
Academic support
- One-to-one or small group tutoring
- Additional teaching assistants
- Specialist intervention programmes (e.g. phonics, maths mastery)
- Access to educational technology and resources
Wider support
- Subsidised school trips and residential visits
- Help with uniform and equipment costs
- Breakfast clubs and after-school provision
- Access to enrichment activities (music, sport, drama)
- Counselling and emotional wellbeing support
Whole-school strategies
- Professional development for teachers
- Improved curriculum resources
- Family liaison and engagement programmes
How Do I Find Out What My Child's School Spends?
Every school must publish a pupil premium strategy statement on its website. This should include:
- How much pupil premium funding the school receives
- How it plans to spend the funding
- What it spent the funding on last year
- The impact of the spending on outcomes
On the What School, you can see each school's FSM percentage and overall performance data, which helps you understand the context in which pupil premium operates.
Why Registration Matters
Here's the crucial point that many parents miss: your child's school receives pupil premium funding based on how many families are registered for free school meals. If you qualify but don't register, your school misses out on funding that could benefit all pupils.
Even if your child:
- Prefers packed lunches
- Is in Reception to Year 2 and already gets UIFSM
- Only qualifies for a short period
Registering still matters because the "Ever 6" measure means the school will continue to receive funding for your child for six years after you first registered.
Does the Funding Really Make a Difference?
The evidence is mixed but improving. The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has found that:
- Schools that use evidence-based approaches see the greatest impact
- Programmes like one-to-one tutoring, feedback, and metacognition strategies have strong evidence of effectiveness
- Simply providing extra resources without a clear strategy has limited impact
The best schools use pupil premium funding strategically, with clear targets and regular review of impact.
Useful Resources
- GOV.UK pupil premium information
- Education Endowment Foundation teaching and learning toolkit
- Apply for free school meals
- Check your school's pupil premium data on the What School
Pupil premium is one of the most powerful tools schools have for supporting disadvantaged children. By registering for free school meals — even if you're not sure you qualify — you could help your child's school secure thousands of pounds in additional funding.