Purpose

The pupil premium grant is funding to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in state-funded schools in England.

We want to support all schools to use the wealth of evidence of ‘what works’, evaluated by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), to use this funding effectively.

Eligible schools

The following types of school are eligible to receive an allocation of pupil premium.

Local authority-maintained schools

This includes:

  • mainstream infant, primary, middle, junior, secondary and all-through schools serving children in year groups reception to year 11
  • schools for children with special educational needs or disabilities
  • pupil referral units (PRUs), for children who do not go to a mainstream school
  • local authority-maintained hospital schools

Academies, free schools and non-maintained special schools

This includes:

  • mainstream academies serving children in year groups reception to year 11
  • academies and non-maintained special schools for children with special educational needs or disabilities
  • alternative provision (AP) academies, for children who do not go to a mainstream school

Pupil premium is also provided to local authorities for eligible pupils in independent special schools, where the local authority pays full tuition fees.

Pupil eligibility

The following groups are eligible for pupil premium:

  • pupils who are recorded as eligible for free school meals, or have been recorded as eligible in the past 6 years, including eligible children of families who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF)
  • children looked after by local authorities, referred to as looked-after children
  • children previously looked after by a local authority or other state care, referred to as previously looked-after children

Funding rates for financial year 2023-24

This table shows how the pupil premium grant is allocated to schools and local authorities in financial year 2023-24, based on per pupil rates.

Pupil eligibility criteria Amount of funding for each primary-aged pupil per year Amount of funding for each secondary-aged pupil per year Funding is paid to
Pupils who are eligible for free school meals, or have been eligible in the past 6 years £1,455 £1,035 School
Pupils previously looked after by a local authority or other state care £2,530 £2,530 School
Children who are looked after by the local authority £2,530 £2,530 Local authority