Pupil Premium funding is a government initiative designed to help raise the attainment of students regardless of their background or financial situation. It is provided for students who:

• Are registered for Free School Meals;
• Have been registered for Free School Meals at any point in the past 6 years;
• Are, or have been, in care;
• Have parents in the armed forces.

At Washington Academy, we received an extra £955 (figures for the 2020/21 financial year) for every eligible student who is registered for Free School Meals.

This extra funding could make a real difference to the quality of education we offer. For example, we have previously used Pupil Premium funding for:

• Accelerated reading packages to raise reading ages and ability for students;
• Extra participation in sports including football and netball tournaments;
• Raising aspirational interventions by mentoring groups of vulnerable students;
• Allocating additional Learning Support Assistants in the classroom;
• Social and emotional learning for our students;
• Organising peer tutoring interventions.

Your child might be eligible if you receive one or more of the following:

• Universal Credit
• Receive income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Receive the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Meet criteria set out in separate guidance for families with no recourse to public funds

No. Students who are registered for Free School Meals do not have to eat them. If you are eligible, but you want your child to have a packed lunch, you should still register because the academy will receive the funding which can support your child in other ways.