Pupil Premium

Department for Education Articles and advice for children and young people.

Are you eligible for Pupil Premium?

At Shottery St Andrew’s, we believe that every child should have the opportunity to thrive, succeed and reach their full potential, regardless of their individual circumstances or background.

You may have heard the term Pupil Premium and wondered what it means, who it is for and how it benefits children in our school. We hope this information helps to explain it.

Understanding the New Free School Meals and Pupil Premium Changes

What does the new Free School Meals system mean for families?

From the start of the 2026/27 academic year, the government has expanded eligibility for Free School Meals (FSM) to include all pupils from households receiving Universal Credit.

This is a positive change for many families, as more children will now be able to receive a free school meal at school.

However, there is an important distinction between Targeted FSM and Expanded FSM, particularly because only one of these categories attracts Pupil Premium funding for schools.

The two new Free School Meals categories

Targeted FSM

A child will be eligible for Targeted Free School Meals where their household receives Universal Credit and has annual household earnings of £7,400 or less.

Children who qualify for Targeted FSM:

receive Free School Meals;
are included in the FSM6 / Ever 6 cohort;
attract Pupil Premium funding for their school;
may be eligible for other benefits linked to FSM, such as the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme and the extended rights element of school travel assistance.

For the 2026/27 financial year, eligible primary-aged pupils attract £1,550 of Pupil Premium funding per year.

This funding is paid to the school and is used to support our wider work to remove barriers to learning and improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

Expanded FSM

From September 2026, children whose households receive Universal Credit but have annual earnings above £7,400 can also receive Free School Meals.

This is known as Expanded Free School Meals.

Children who qualify for Expanded FSM:

receive a free school meal;
do not attract Pupil Premium funding;
are not included in the FSM6 / Ever 6 cohort;
do not qualify for other benefits that are specifically linked to Targeted FSM, such as HAF and the extended rights element of school travel assistance.

Expanded FSM is therefore specifically about ensuring that more children have access to a free meal at school, rather than providing additional disadvantage funding to schools.

Why does this distinction matter?

It is important to understand that being eligible for a free school meal does not automatically mean that a child attracts Pupil Premium funding.

Under the new system:

	Targeted FSM	Expanded FSM
Household receives Universal Credit	✓	✓
Household earnings	£7,400 or less	Above £7,400
Free school meal	✓	✓
Attracts Pupil Premium	✓ Yes	✗ No
Included in FSM6 / Ever 6	✓ Yes	✗ No
HAF eligibility	✓	✗
Extended school travel assistance	✓	✗

The Department for Education has confirmed that, from 2026/27, only pupils eligible for Targeted FSM will form part of the FSM6 cohort used for Pupil Premium and disadvantage funding.

What is Pupil Premium?

Pupil Premium is additional government funding provided to schools to support eligible disadvantaged pupils.

For Shottery St Andrew’s, this funding forms an important part of our wider commitment to removing barriers, improving outcomes and ensuring that every child has the opportunity to shine.

Pupil Premium is not money that is paid directly to families, and it is not an individual budget attached to a child.

Instead, schools use their Pupil Premium funding strategically to support disadvantaged pupils through approaches that are informed by evidence, school data and our understanding of the needs of our children.

This may include work around:

high-quality teaching and learning;
reading, writing and mathematics;
attendance and punctuality;
SEND and inclusion;
wellbeing and emotional development;
behaviour and positive relationships;
pastoral support;
enrichment and wider opportunities;
developing confidence, independence and aspiration; and
working with families to overcome barriers to learning.

What does this mean for Shottery families?

The changes mean that more children will now be entitled to a free school meal, which is an important benefit for families.

However, if your child is newly eligible through the Expanded FSM category, this does not mean that the school receives Pupil Premium funding for them.

It is therefore still important for families who believe they may meet the Targeted FSM criteria to make sure that they apply and have their eligibility verified.

If you are unsure which category your child falls into, please speak to the school office. We will be happy to support you.

Every child matters

At Shottery St Andrew’s, we know that children can experience barriers to learning for many different reasons.

Our commitment is to ensure that every child is known, valued and supported, whatever their circumstances.

Where Pupil Premium funding is available, we use it carefully and strategically to help remove barriers, raise aspirations and improve outcomes.

Where children are eligible for Expanded FSM, we are equally committed to ensuring that they benefit from having access to a nutritious free school meal.

Ultimately, our aim is the same: to ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive, succeed and shine.

Free school meals eligibility and application for 2026/27 school year

Pupil Premium StatementsPupil Premium Statement 2025

Please read the information below which gives details of our Pupil Premium Grant and how we allocate the funding.Please read the information below which gives details of our Pupil Premium Grant and how we allocate the funding.