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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Pupil Premium, how do I find out how it's spent?

60 replies

3MonthMaid · 21/05/2013 16:48

I am a lone parent and while DD was in reception and part of year 1 she was on free school meals.

I knew about the pupil premium and in fact in her reception year the school paid for her to attend some after -school clubs. I was happy with that. I was also told at the time that it was the last year they were doing that as they were going to use the money differently to directly help all FSM children.

I didn't think much more of it until recently when I found out that DD was actually getting the pupil premium due to ever6 and would do for pretty much her whole primary time.

I have not seen any sign of anything being done for any particular children. Particularly not for DD. I'm not expecting her to have a nice new desk or anything equally quantifiable but I would like to know how the school as a whole allocates this extra money.

How can I find out? Would I need to go to the head? I just want a vague outline as to how this premium is benefitting my DD and others.

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piprabbit · 21/05/2013 16:52

I'd ask the HT.

I assume that if they decline to tell you, you might be able to submit a Freedom of Information Act request to get the information.

ilikesweetpeas · 21/05/2013 16:53

Have you looked on their website, a lot of schools publish this info there.

BlueStringPudding · 21/05/2013 16:54

I believe it is, or soon will be, a requirement for schools to publish information on how they spend the Pupil Premium on their website - it's worth having a good browse on the website to see if it's up there somewhere.

QueenofLouisiana · 21/05/2013 16:55

The school should publish the information, either on the website or by letter. May be used on TA support, extra sports coaches, lunchtime activities, breakfast club subsidies.....

OddBoots · 21/05/2013 16:56

You won't really know unless you ask them. There is a site with a few case studies of what other schools have done which may be helpful in the mean time: link

MaryPoppinsBag · 21/05/2013 16:56

I don't think they single out particular children and give them extra stuff.

It goes into the pot and gets spent on stuff like extra classroom support / extra phonics / maths lessons for those who are behind or helps subsidises school trips.
(It does at our school - I know because I'm a parent governor).

What do you expect to get from it?

MaryPoppinsBag · 21/05/2013 17:21

It's given as there is a link between poverty/ being a looked after child etc and poor educational attainment.

So the money is spent on helping to counteract that. If your daughter is not disadvantaged academically she might not see any of this money. And instead someone else might benefit from it.

It is not a given that if you qualify for FSM you don't achieve academically. I was on them and went to university.

prh47bridge · 21/05/2013 17:52

Just for clarity, the pupil premium goes into the school's budget and can be spent however the school wants. It doesn't have to be spent specifically on things for FSM children.

olibeansmummy · 21/05/2013 17:59

I think it's really depressing that people want the whole of their 'entitlement' spent on their child and want to see evidence of it :( trust the school to do what us best with the money.

ShatnersBassoon · 21/05/2013 18:06

You should ask. The Head will be able to provide you with evidence of its allocation.

Original poster

3MonthMaid · 21/05/2013 18:17

To be clear, I absolutely do not expect the PP to be spent whole,y on my DD. I think what I would like to know is where the school is targeting the money as a whole.

I am fully aware that being on FSM does not automatically academically disadvantage children, but I would like some clarity as to what is being done to address the inequalities in achievement.

My DD is not performing badly at all and I don't expect her specifically to be targeted.

I think I will approach the HT. He is not all that approachable really though and an expert in fobbing people off and talking in cliches

OP posts:

BreconBeBuggered · 21/05/2013 18:21

Yes, Ofsted now require schools to display details of how the pupil premium is spent on their website. So it's not a big secret, and you'd be well within your rights to ask if the information isn't readily available.

Farewelltoarms · 21/05/2013 18:21

Ours allows our very brilliant deputy to be more of a floating teacher (among other things). I'm sure my non fsm children benefit from this as it benefits the whole school, but she targets a lot of her work to raising attainment within some difficult-to-reach groups. If your dd were not in this group, she wouldn't benefit as much, but this would be a good thing surely?

Farewelltoarms · 21/05/2013 18:22

Sorry x posted

BoundandRebound · 21/05/2013 18:25

Pupil premium should be spent on programmes to benefit disadvantaged children. It absolutely is not supposed to go to pad out the budget to all children, although clearly there will be benefits across the school

I'd ask the head to be honest

OwlLady · 21/05/2013 18:25

we have had a letter which says at my dd's school the pupil premium is 10k each child
this is a special school so i hope it wasn't being 'shared out' tbh

MaybeBentley · 21/05/2013 19:13

From what I understand it the figure is about £700 per pupil, not 10K!

I also believe it can be used in a variety of ways, as decided by the school, but they have to monitor the progress and achievement of each child that generates the money and ensure it is being used to target their possible underachievement. I understand that having a club paid for by the school from PP money is great for parents, but surely the priority is academic underachievement?

When you meet the HT you might want to have in mind what you feel your child needs. ie. does she struggle with reading and need some extra small group phonics sessions? etc. My Dc's school's website identifies the additional HLTA hours to run reading and writing interventions, some one-to-one after school tutoring (older children), an extra teacher in during maths and literacy lessons used in certain classes, purchasing specific reading books, breakfast club for specific (unnnamed) children.

Pantone363 · 21/05/2013 19:16

It's now a requirement of OFSTED that the school can prove how the PP premium directly affects FSM children.

It is NOT supposed to be soaked up into the main budget at all. Our school uses it for extra tuition, specialist maths teachers, subsidising school trips and a few other things. Schools also have to have this information on their website.

Pantone363 · 21/05/2013 19:17

It's not 10K it's about £700

Pantone363 · 21/05/2013 19:18

It's not to say that non FSM children don't benefit too, they also use the maths tutors and swimming is subsidised as a whole by the PP

Letticetheslug · 21/05/2013 19:25

Our school employs a support teacher

Millais · 21/05/2013 19:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NigelYerABawbag · 21/05/2013 19:38

I've just looked up my DC school report on how they spend it (interested as my DD had FSM previously so will get the PP funding) and they say that as the school budget is very tight it is used to pay for a 'floating' TA who goes between the two classes (v small school!).

They don't help to fund any school trips for FSM children at our school - when I was on IS I still had to pay £40 a term for the coach for swimming and find the £130 for a one night residential etc.

prh47bridge · 21/05/2013 19:53

It is absolutely not supposed to go to pad out the budget to all children

An extract from the Pupil Premium Conditions of Grant:

The grant may be spent by maintained schools for the purposes of the school; that is to say for the educational benefit of pupils registered at that school, or for the benefit of pupils registered at other maintained schools; and on community facilities, for example services whose provision furthers any charitable purpose for the benefit of pupils at the school or their families, or people who live or work in the locality in which the school is situated.

Farewelltoarms · 21/05/2013 20:45

To stress, when I say the deputy floating benefits all pupils, this is because by helping to raise attainment in some segments that are currently low achieving, it is great for the WHOLE school. Not that somehow pupil premium is being siphoned off into general school budget. Inevitable having a brilliant floating teacher observing classes will also have other benefits, but this I think is as it should be.
Generally I'm a big fan of pp, not just because my kids' school 50% fsm...

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