The pupil premium is additional funding for publicly funded schools in England. It is designed to help disadvantaged pupils of all abilities perform better, and close the gap between them and their peers. Funding is allocated according to the number of children who are, or have been, eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any point over the past six years.
In addition, pupils who are designated as ‘Looked After’, adopted or service children, are also classified as Pupil Premium.
Schools are accountable for how they have used the funding to ‘diminish the difference’ between disadvantaged Pupil Premium children and Non-Pupil Premium pupils.