Please check to see if you are eligible to apply for the Pupil Premium grant for Free School Meals using the following link:
At St. Stephen’s we are committed to securing the best outcomes for all our pupils. As a school we will challenge individual pupils to achieve the highest levels regardless of their prior attainment or personal circumstances. The Pupil Premium is a key resource for ensuring the realisation of these aspirations.
The Pupil Premium is paid to schools for pupils who are identified as being eligible for free school meals, who are ‘Looked After’ by the Local Authority, or who has a parent serving in the armed forces. It is a grant based on school census figures and data returns. The DfE has given schools the freedom to use the funding as they see fit, based upon their knowledge of their pupils’ needs. However, schools are accountable for the use of this additional funding.
All our staff and governors accept responsibility for disadvantaged pupils are committed to meeting their pastoral, social and academic needs within a caring environment.
The Pupil Premium is additional to main school funding and it will be used to address any underlying inequalities between children eligible by ensuring that funding reaches the pupils who need it most. These pupils are identified through on-going assessment and an annual needs analysis.
The school recognises that disadvantage does not mean, and is not an excuse for, low attainment or progress. We also recognise that not all pupils who are disadvantaged are registered or qualify for free school meals. Therefore, the school reserves the right to allocate the funding to support any pupil that the school has identified as being in need of intervention and support.
The Governing Body will ensure that there is annual strategy to parents and carers on how the funding has been used. This information will be published on the school’s website.
The funding is used to:
Department for Education Articles and advice for children and young people.