The Government introduced the Pupil Premium Grant in April 2011. This grant, which is additional to main school funding, is seen by the government as the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their wealthier peers, by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most. The Pupil Premium is allocated to schools and is clearly identifiable. Schools can decide how the Pupil Premium is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility. The latest national figures available show that:

 • Only 53% of 7- to 11-year-olds known to be eligible for free school meals (FSM) achieved the expected level in both English and mathematics compared with 75% for non-FSM pupils

 • After prior attainment, poverty is the single most important factor in predicting a child’s future life chances

. • Attainment gaps between pupils from deprived backgrounds and their more affluent peers persist through all stages of education, including entry into Higher Education

. • The highest early achievers from deprived backgrounds are overtaken by lower achieving children from advantaged backgrounds by age seven.

• By the end of Key Stage 1 (age seven), the odds of a pupil eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) achieving level 2 in reading, writing and mathematics are one third those of a non-FSM pupil.

At Northleigh Primary School we support all our pupils. We do this by providing high quality classroom teaching supplemented by interventions to support vulnerable learners as and when required. The School Leadership Team and Governing Body monitor the impact of all spending and interventions, including the Pupil Premium.

Please find below a summary of our pupil premium spending for the last year.