The governors and all members of staff at St Oswald’s CE Primary School accept responsibility for all pupils including ‘socially disadvantaged’ pupils and are committed to meeting their pastoral, social and academic needs within the school environment.

The Pupil Premium Grant, which is additional to main school funding, is seen by the government as the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between disadvantaged pupils, including those eligible for Targeted Free School Meals (FSM), and their peers, by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most. From 2026–27, Free School Meals eligibility has been expanded to include all pupils from households receiving Universal Credit; however, only pupils eligible for Targeted FSM attract Pupil Premium funding. In addition, the school also receives a separate Service Pupil Premium, which applies to the children of parents or carers who are serving in the Armed Forces. The Pupil Premium funding is allocated to schools and is clearly identifiable. Schools can decide how the Pupil Premium is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility.

Who are our pupil premium leads?

Is my child eligible?

Eligibility Criteria

Today, Pupil Premium is allocated to schools based on the number of children whose circumstances fall within the following categories:

1. Children who have been eligible for Targeted Free School Meals (FSM) at any point in time over the last 6 years. This means if your child was previously entitled to Targeted free school meals but is no longer, they will still receive pupil premium based on the ‘Ever 6’ qualification (a pupil who has ever had Targeted free school meals in the past six years).

From 2026–27, Free School Meals have been expanded to include all pupils from households receiving Universal Credit. However, pupils who are only eligible through this new Expanded FSM provision do not mean you are eligible for Pupil Premium funding, just free school meals. Only pupils eligible for Targeted FSM are included in the Pupil Premium Ever 6 measure.

2. Children whose families meet the eligibility criteria for Targeted Free School Meals.

Your child may be able to get Targeted free school meals if you get any of the following:

• 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 depending on your annual gross income)
• Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit – if your annual household earnings are £7,400 or less (after tax and not including any benefits you receive).

From 2026–27, households receiving Universal Credit above the Targeted FSM income threshold may still be eligible for Expanded Free School Meals, but this does not attract Pupil Premium funding.

3. ‘Looked after’ children:

These are children who have been ‘looked after’ for one day or more, including children who are in the care of, or provided with accommodation by, an English local authority. Pupil Premium funding for looked-after children is allocated to the local authority. Previously looked-after children, including children who have been adopted from state care or left care through a special guardianship order or child arrangements order, are also eligible for Pupil Premium.

4. ‘Service Children’:

These are children who have one or more parents currently serving in the regular Armed Forces (or who are serving in the armed forces of another nation and are stationed in England), children who have been registered as a service child within the previous six years, or children whose parent died whilst serving in the Armed Forces and who receive a qualifying pension under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or War Pensions Scheme.

*Please note all pupil premium statements are available on our policies page.