Pupil Premium and Meridian Trust Charter
The Government believes that Pupil Premium (PP) funding, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the underlying inequalities between children who are eligible for free school meals (FSM), or who have been eligible in the last 6 years, and their peers.
The use of the term ‘Pupil Premium’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route.
Schools also receive funding for children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months and for those pupils who are the children of either currently serving members of HM forces or who have retired on a pension from the Ministry of Defence. This ‘Service Premium’ is not classed as Pupil Premium but is allocated to help with pastoral support.
The Pupil Premium (PP) and Service Premium currently stand at:
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£1050 for every secondary-age pupil who claims free school meals or who has claimed free school meals in the last 6 years
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£2,570 for every pupil who is within local authority care
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£2,570 for every pupil who has left local authority care through adoption, special guardianship order or child arrangements order
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£340 for every child of either a serving member of HM forces or retired on a pension from the MOD
The PP funding is used to help fund a range of educational benefits for pupils across the school such as targeted small-group interventions, additional pastoral support, or inclusion in school activities such as extracurricular clubs, school trips, and music lessons.
Who is eligible?
Your child may be eligible if you receive any of the following benefits:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Child Tax Credit only (with income up to £16,190) with no element of Working Tax Credit
- National Asylum Seekers Support
- The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit (income dependent)
Free School Meals
If you think your child may be eligible for free school meals, please complete the form at the bottom of this page. This form can either be emailed directly to ewb.fsm@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or you can return the form to the college reception, and we will forward it on your behalf.
What happens if your financial situation changes
Your child’s school will continue to receive the funding for the next six years
Pupil Premium Strategy
It is a requirement for the academic year 2024-25 that the school publishes both how the money was spent in 2023-24 and how it is going to be spent in the coming year 2023-24.
The strategy document can be accessed here
Ely College follows the Statement of Principals set out by Meridian Trust https://www.meridiantrust.co.uk/key-information/policies/
In addition to the principals above Ely College have worked together with other Meridian Trust schools to create the unique ‘Pupil Premium Charter’. This charter maps out our intentions to ensure that the academic gap between pupils who are in receipt of the Pupil Premium, require SENDV support or require support for any other experiences that have historically shown to impact attainment and those who are non-disadvantaged narrows in all its schools. The Meridian Trust PP Charter is the minimum guarantee to all pupils in receipt of Pupil Premium funding who attend a Meridian Trust school.
The Meridian Trust Pupil Premium Charter ensures a focus on closing the gap in attainment, attendance, parental engagement, CEIAG (Careers, Information, Advice and Guidance) and pupil experiences. There is much evidence to suggest that those in receipt of pupil premium funding do not experience activities and opportunities which broaden their outlook and perspective on the world.
There is much evidence to suggest that those in receipt of Pupil Premium funding do not always experience a rich set of activities and opportunities which broaden their outlook and perspective. Therefore, a significant strand of the Charter focuses on giving pupils a set of experiences and memories they will never forget. We encourage all pupils, but especially those in receipt of Pupil Premium Funding, to Extend the Boundaries of Learning and take part in school trips, visits and to live a broad range of childhood experiences offered in Meridian Trust schools.
Key Links
Pupil Premium Statement of Principles