At Flakefleet Primary School, we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to achieve their very best, whatever their background or circumstances.
Pupil Premium is additional funding provided by the Government to support eligible pupils. Its purpose is to help schools improve educational outcomes and reduce barriers that may affect a child’s progress and success.
At Flakefleet, we see Pupil Premium as more than simply additional funding. It gives us an opportunity to identify barriers, provide targeted support and make sure that every child has the opportunity to learn, participate, succeed and belong.
Who Can Receive Pupil Premium?
Pupil Premium funding is provided to schools to support pupils who meet specific eligibility criteria.
For the 2026–27 academic year, this includes:
- Pupils who are eligible for Targeted Free School Meals (FSM), or who have been eligible for Targeted FSM within the previous six years. This is known as the Ever 6 FSM cohort.
- Children who are looked after by a local authority, with funding allocated through the local authority.
- Children who were previously looked after by a local authority or were previously in other forms of state care, including eligible children who have been adopted from state care.
- Eligible Service children, who attract Service Pupil Premium funding.
An important change to Free School Meals
From September 2026, Free School Meals have been expanded so that all children from households receiving Universal Credit can receive a free school meal, regardless of household income.
However, there are now two categories of Free School Meals:
Targeted FSM – for households receiving Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less. These pupils are included in the Ever 6 cohort and attract Pupil Premium funding.
Expanded FSM – for children from households receiving Universal Credit who do not meet the Targeted FSM income threshold. These pupils receive a free school meal but do not attract Pupil Premium funding.
This distinction is important because receiving a free school meal does not automatically mean that a pupil attracts Pupil Premium funding.
Pupil Premium is not a personal budget for individual children. Schools use the funding strategically to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and may also use it to support other pupils where this is appropriate and where they have identified needs.
For the 2026–27 financial year, the Pupil Premium rate for eligible primary-aged pupils who are currently or have previously been eligible for Free School Meals is £1,550 per pupil.
What Difference Can Pupil Premium Make?
Children can experience barriers to learning for many different reasons.
These might relate to:
- Attendance and punctuality
- Confidence and self-esteem
- Emotional wellbeing
- Relationships and friendships
- Access to resources and opportunities
- Reading and literacy
- Learning gaps
- Additional educational needs
- Family circumstances
- Experiences outside school
There is no single approach that works for every child.
Our staff therefore use their knowledge of each pupil to identify what will make the greatest difference.
How We Use Pupil Premium at Flakefleet
We use Pupil Premium funding strategically, alongside our wider school resources, to support our disadvantaged pupils.
Our approach focuses on three broad areas:
1. High-Quality Teaching
The most important way we support disadvantaged pupils is through excellent classroom teaching.
We use assessment and professional knowledge to identify gaps in learning and provide appropriate support as early as possible.
This can include:
- Targeted intervention
- Reading support
- Additional teaching and practice
- Carefully planned classroom support
- Support to address gaps in learning
- Monitoring progress closely
2. Targeted Academic Support
Some pupils benefit from additional support alongside their everyday classroom learning.
We may provide targeted programmes and interventions designed to help children make progress, develop confidence and strengthen particular areas of their learning.
Our approach is evidence-informed and responsive to individual needs.
3. Wider Strategies
We recognise that children’s success at school is influenced by much more than what happens in the classroom.
Our wider support may therefore include approaches that address:
- Attendance and punctuality
- Emotional wellbeing
- Pastoral support
- Behaviour and relationships
- Family support
- Access to wider opportunities and experiences
- Barriers that may affect engagement with learning
This links closely with our Pastoral Support and Relational Approach at Flakefleet.
Our Approach at Flakefleet
We do not believe that being eligible for Pupil Premium should define a child.
Instead, we use information about individual pupils to understand where additional support may be helpful.
We ask:
What is this child good at?
What might be getting in their way?
What can we do to remove that barrier?
What will make the biggest difference?
This helps us make decisions based on the needs of our pupils rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.
Attendance Matters
Regular attendance is essential for children to make progress, develop relationships and enjoy all that school has to offer.
We work closely with pupils and families to understand barriers to attendance and provide support where appropriate.
Our aim is to work with families, not simply to monitor attendance, so that children can attend regularly and get the most from their education.
Pastoral and Emotional Support
We recognise that children cannot always learn effectively if they are worried, anxious, overwhelmed or struggling with relationships.
Our Pastoral Team provides support to children who may need additional help with their emotional wellbeing, confidence, relationships or regulation.
This can include individual support, nurture, family support and access to appropriate external services.
You can find out more on our Pastoral Support page.
Pupil Premium and SEND
Pupil Premium and SEND support are different forms of provision, but children may benefit from both.
Where a child is eligible for Pupil Premium and also has additional educational needs, we consider their needs as a whole.
Our SEND and Pastoral Teams work closely with teachers and families to make sure support is coordinated and focused on the individual child.
Support for Families
We understand that circumstances can change and that families may sometimes need additional support.
If you think your child may be eligible for Free School Meals, please contact us or follow the Lancashire County Council application process.
Even if your child is already receiving a free school meal because they are in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2, it is still important to check whether your family is eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals.
Registering can mean that your child is eligible for Pupil Premium funding and may also help your family access other forms of support.
If you’re unsure, please ask us. We are happy to help.
Measuring Impact
We carefully monitor the impact of our Pupil Premium provision.
We consider a range of information, including:
- Academic progress
- Attainment
- Reading development
- Attendance
- Behaviour and engagement
- Emotional wellbeing
- Participation in wider opportunities
- Individual pupil progress and outcomes
We use this information to review what is working well and identify where changes or additional support may be needed.
Our goal is not simply to spend the funding, but to ensure that it makes a meaningful difference to children’s lives and outcomes.
Our Pupil Premium Strategy
Each year, we publish our Pupil Premium Strategy Statement explaining how we intend to use the funding and the outcomes we aim to achieve.
The strategy is based on our understanding of the needs of our pupils and follows the Department for Education’s guidance on using Pupil Premium effectively.
Current Pupil Premium Strategy
Pupil Premium Strategy and policy
Previous strategy statements can also be made available here so that parents and our wider community can see how our approach develops over time.
Working Together
The best outcomes happen when school and home work together.
If you have concerns about your child’s learning, attendance, wellbeing or circumstances, please talk to us.
You don’t need to wait until there is a significant problem.
Our teachers, Pastoral Team and wider staff are here to listen, understand and help.
Every Child. Every Opportunity.
At Flakefleet, Pupil Premium is part of our wider commitment to ensuring that every child can thrive.
We want all our pupils to develop the knowledge, skills, confidence and resilience they need to succeed — both during their time at Flakefleet and beyond.
We identify barriers.
We provide support.
We monitor impact.
We celebrate progress.
And we never lose sight of the child at the heart of it all.