The Pupil Premium is additional money given to schools and academies to support students who are considered to be disadvantaged. Schools are given pupil premium for:

• Children who have qualified for free school meals at any point in the past six years.
• Looked-after children (LAC) defined in the Children Act 1989 as one who is in the care of, or provided with accommodation by, an English local authority
• Children who have ceased to be looked after by a local authority in England and Wales because of adoption, a special guardianship order, a child arrangements order or a residence order
• Children in year groups reception to year 11 recorded as Ever 6 service child or in receipt of a child pension from the Ministry of Defence

It is up to the individual school (or Academy) to decide how Pupil Premium should be best spent. The money is not directly spent on each individual eligible student, but forms part of the whole Academy budget. At Buckler’s Mead Academy, we have used Pupil Premium funding to successfully implement a wide range of strategies to support eligible students. These strategies include, increased staffing, THRIVE Social and emotional support, Vocabulary Support, Forces Champion Post and supporting key experiences, such as the Year 7 Pantomime Trip.

The progress of Pupil Premium, as with all students, is routinely monitored by the Academy as part of our progress check cycle and quality assurance process. Key information relating to the way money is spent is published on our website. The Academy is held to account by Ofsted, through the DfE Performance Tables as well as the Academy Directors and must ensure that it is making a difference to the attainment of eligible students

Does your child qualify?
Prior to April 2019, children qualified for free school meals – and accordingly pupil premium – if the parent received any of the following benefits:

• Income support
• Income-based jobseekers’ allowance
• Income-related employment and support allowance
• Support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of state pension credit

Child tax credit, provided that you are not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross income of £16,190 or less.

These benefits have now been rolled into a single benefit, called Universal Credit. From April 2018, free school meals and pupil premium have only been allocated to students with a family income under £7400 (net) per year.

If your child qualifies for Free School Meals, or maybe eligible for the Pupil Premium it is important you let the Academy know.

To apply for Free School Meals: http://www.somerset.gov.uk/education-learning-and-schools/school-life/free-school-meals/

For more information about Free School Meals at Buckler’s Mead Academy: http://bucklersmead.com/free-school-meals/

For further Information please see Pupil Premium Strategy Statement below.

https://www.midsomernortonschoolspartnership.com/uploads/files/pupil-premium-2024.pdf

Pupil Premium Strategy Summary 2024