Pupil Premium

Pupil Premium

Pupil Premium is additional funding provided by the government to help schools improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged children and to reduce differences in attainment and progress.

Schools receive Pupil Premium funding for children who meet particular eligibility criteria. The school decides how this funding is best used to support pupils and remove barriers to their learning.

Who is eligible for Pupil Premium?

For the 2026–27 financial year, primary schools receive:

• £1,550 per pupil for children who are eligible for Targeted Free School Meals, or who have been eligible during the previous six years (known as Ever 6).
• £2,690 per pupil for children who have previously been looked after by a local authority or other state care and have since left care through adoption, a Special Guardianship Order or a Child Arrangements Order.
• £2,690 per pupil for children who are currently looked after by a local authority. This funding is managed by the local authority.
• £360 per eligible pupil through the Service Pupil Premium for children from service families.

Free School Meals from September 2026

The eligibility rules for Free School Meals changed from September 2026. Children from all households receiving Universal Credit may now be entitled to a free school meal.

It is important to understand that Free School Meals and Pupil Premium are no longer exactly the same thing.

Children who meet the criteria for Targeted Free School Meals may also attract Pupil Premium funding for their school.

Children who qualify only under the new Expanded Free School Meals entitlement will receive a free school meal, but this does not automatically generate Pupil Premium funding for the school.

Children who were already eligible under the previous arrangements continue to be included within the Ever 6 Pupil Premium arrangements.

How do we use Pupil Premium at St John's?

Pupil Premium is not a personal budget allocated to an individual child. We use the funding strategically to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils across the school.

Funding may be used to:

• improve the quality of teaching and learning;
• provide additional or targeted academic support;
• address identified gaps in learning;
• support attendance and engagement with school;
• support pupils' social and emotional wellbeing;
• provide enrichment opportunities; and
• remove other barriers which may prevent children from fully accessing learning and school life.

We carefully consider the needs of our pupils when deciding how Pupil Premium funding should be spent. We monitor the impact of this provision and review our approach regularly.

Our Pupil Premium Strategy Statement, available below, provides further information about the challenges faced by disadvantaged pupils at St John's, how we intend to use our funding and how we evaluate its impact.

Further information

Further information about Pupil Premium, including eligibility and current funding arrangements, is available from the Department for Education on GOV.UK:

Pupil Premium – GOV.UK
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium/pupil-premium

For information about Free School Meals and how to apply, please visit the Lincolnshire County Council website:

Apply for Free School Meals – Lincolnshire County Council
https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/school-pupil-support/apply-free-school-meals