FREE SCHOOL MEALS AND PUPIL PREMIUM AT BROADMAYNE FIRST SCHOOL
What is Pupil Premium?
The Government gives money to schools to help children from lower income families to achieve their best. This is a Government initiative called ‘pupil premium’. It is paid to schools in addition to main school funding and is the Government’s way to address possible inequalities between children’s attainment.
My child will get a universal free meal because they are in infant classes (R, 1 and 2), why do I still need to apply?
Although all children in infant classes (Reception, Year 1 and Year 2) will receive a universal free meal, it is still important that you apply if you might be eligible. This is because, if your child is eligible, the school will receive additional funding called Pupil Premium. The money is used to support the education of all pupils from low-income families as needed, to ensure that they get the same chances as other children. We will use this extra money towards various individual or group intervention strategies to support your child’s attainment and progress.
Who is eligible?
The school is given additional funding for children who meet any of the following criteria:
Have a parent serving in the armed forces.
Are currently entitled to free school meals.
Have been entitled to free school meals within the last 6 years.
Are ‘looked after’.
Are covered by a ‘Guardianship order’.
Are covered by a ‘Residency order’.
Have been adopted from care.
Eligibility for Free School Meals
You are eligible to apply for free school meals if you are in receipt of any of these benefits:
Income Support
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
income-related Employment and Support Allowance
support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
How do I apply?
First check if you qualify – it is not just if you are unemployed, so please look at the above criteria.
Registering is quick and easy – if you think you qualify, contact the school office, who can help you register
Registration is confidential and will not affect benefits you are claiming. Please talk to us about registering your child as soon as possible.
How does the school use the money?
The school can use the money as it decides (it is not assigned to individual children), and at Broadmayne we use it to support all Pupil Premium children and the school as a whole. Each year, we publish a Pupil Premium strategy on our website and evaluate it at the end of each academic year to show how the grant is spent and what impact it has had. We are also accountable to Ofsted for the use of our Pupil Premium money.
In times of tighter school budgets access to Pupil Premium Funding can make a significant difference to our school. Last year we received just over £14,000 in additional funds through Pupil Premium.
Accessing funding that is rightfully available for your child can make a really positive impact to the school, your child and indeed all our children.
If you have any queries with regard to an application, please do not hesitate to contact Helen Collings (Headteacher) or the school office.
Broadmayne First School Free School Meals Allowance
At Broadmayne we offer parents of children that are in receipt of Free School Meals an allowance for certain items that can be used for school based activities. It can be used for either:
school uniform
contribution to trips
contribution to Hooke Court
contribution to music lessons
after school clubs
Information about the specific amounts of allowance contributed towards each item is reviewed each year. The school and parents will keep a record of money spent and any uniform bought by parents must include a receipt to be reimbursed.