The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011 and is additional funding provided by the Department of Education to individual schools to support specific groups of children who are vulnerable to possible underachievement. These include pupils from low-income families who were eligible for free school meals, looked after children and those from families with parents in the Armed Forces. Funding is provide to “diminish the (attainment) difference” between children entitled to pupil premium and those classed as “other” (non-pupil premium).

Schools are free to make decisions on how to best spend their pupil premium funding but are accountable as spending must have a positive impact on overcoming educational barriers to learning.

Currently, 58% of our school population is entitled to pupil premium funding. There are children in every year group at Acre Rigg Academy, who are eligible for Free School Meals. These pupils generate Pupil Premium (a monetary amount paid into the school budget) and these pupils in our school are closely tracked and monitored throughout their school life to ensure they progress equally as well as their peers in school.

Please read the information below which gives details of our Pupil Premium Grant and how we allocate the funding.