What is the Pupil Premium?
The Government is giving money to schools to help children from lower income families do their very best. This funding is called a ‘Pupil Premium’.
If you qualify, your child/children can receive free school meals and reduced costs towards some after school activity clubs (e.g. Drama, Dance, Cooking etc.) or curriculum enrichment opportunities such as learning to play the violin or guitar. If you are registered for Pupil Premium you may also get help with the cost of day trips and residential trips. In addition to the above support, you will also receive financial help with the cost of your child’s first school uniform.
For every child registered, Christ Church CE Academy gets £1,480 this year. This additional funding allows us to provide an even better education for your child through the purchase of additional resources or staff to support learning.
You can learn more about it here.
Are you eligible for Pupil Premium?
Free Schools Meals and Pupil Premium Information
Currently, pupils in Years 1 and 2 as well as Reception children all receive free school meals, these are paid by government funding. This provision is called Universal Free School Meals or UFSM.
In addition to this funding, parents in low income families or those that are unemployed can also apply for Pupil Premium funding so that their children can receive free school meals in subsequent school years (Year 3 and onwards). Pupil Premium funding can also give children access to some discounted educational trips and events throughout their school years.
Eligibility Criteria
You can register your child for Free School Meals if you receive any of these benefits:
- Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
- 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 Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit, provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
- Working Tax Credit ‘run-on’ – the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Please note you are not eligible if you are in receipt of Working Tax Credit.
How to apply
- Registering is really quick and easy – you can apply online at https://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/schools/free-school-meals.aspx and get an immediate answer. If you are eligible, your child’s school will be notified within 48 hours.
- If you want your child to have a free, healthy meal at lunchtime that’s great – they will get the free meal, saving you more than £350 a year.
- If you don’t want your child to have the free school meals, they can continue as normal – as long as you qualify and are registered, you still get discounts for some educational activities from the £1,480 extra the school receives.
- If you have any problems with applying for this support, please contact our school office on 01484 226595.
No one will know you have registered and it will not affect any other benefits you are claiming.
The information that you supply to register for Pupil Premium will be held securely and will only be used for the purpose of establishing entitlement to Pupil Premium and to contact other sources, as allowed by law, to verify your initial and continuing entitlement.