Pupil Premium

At STA, we believe that all students that are PP eligible should make progress in-line with, or more than, their peers.

Our Pupil Premium Strategy (below) is put in place to ensure all funding available is utilised to remove as many barriers, and obstacles, as possible to ensure that progress is made.

In summary, our plan ensures that research-based approaches to improve teaching and learning are happening consistently school wide, attendance continues to be of high priority, parent engagement is welcomed and encouraged and that each and every student is known and understood, so that interventions are targeted and have the highest chance of impact.

The Education Endowment Fund has developed research led approaches to help schools identify the best strategies to ensure students in receipt of Pupil Premium funding achieve their highest standards. We adopt the approaches relevant to our context to support high aspirations for our students.

WHAT IS PUPIL PREMIUM?

Pupil premium funding is allocated to eligible schools based on the number of:

• Pupils who are recorded as eligible for free school meals (FSM), or have been recorded as eligible in the past 6 years (referred to as Ever 6 FSM)
• Children previously looked after by a local authority or other state care, including children adopted from state care or equivalent from outside England and Wales

Pupil premium is not a personal budget for individual pupils, and schools do not have to spend pupil premium so that it solely benefits pupils who meet the funding criteria. It can be used:

• to support other pupils with identified needs, such as those who have or have had a social worker, or who act as a carer
• for whole class interventions which will also benefit non-disadvantaged pupils

 Pupil Premium Strategy 2023-24 and Review 2022-23

Pupil Premium Strategy 2024-25 and Review 2023-24

Pupil Premium Strategy 2025-26 and Review 2024-25

Recent Changes to Free School Meal Eligibility

From the start of the 2026 to 2027 academic year, the Department for Education (DfE) is delivering an expansion to FSM eligibility to include all pupils from households in receipt of Universal Credit. There will then be 2 categories of FSM:

• Targeted FSM, which continues to be based on the existing £7,400 income threshold
• Expanded FSM, which will apply to meals only, covering pupils who do not qualify for Targeted FSM, but who are in households in receipt of Universal Credit

Following the expansion of FSM, only pupils eligible for Targeted FSM will be part of the Ever 6 FSM cohort. This means that pupils who become eligible for FSM for the first time through the new Expanded FSM category will not attract pupil premium funding.

Pupils who were eligible for FSM before the expansion will continue to be part of the Ever 6 FSM cohort after the expansion. That includes any pupil whose household income increases after the expansion, such that they either lose FSM eligibility altogether or become eligible for FSM through Expanded FSM. Such pupils will remain part of the Ever 6 FSM cohort for 6 years.

Emails have been sent to all parents explaining this new process, which instructions on how to apply. If you have any further questions, or your circumstances have changed and you are unsure, please do contact to school with any questions.