Pupil premium is additional funding for publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers.

Pupil premium funding is available to:

• local-authority-maintained schools, including special schools, pupil referral units (PRUs), and voluntary-sector alternative provision (AP)
• special schools not maintained by the local authority (NMSS)
• academies and free schools, including special and AP academies

Funding

Financial year 2026 to 2027

In the 2026 - 2027 financial year, schools will receive the following funding for each child registered as eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years:

• £1550 for pupils in reception year to year 6

Schools also receive £2690 for each pupil who has left local authority-care because of one of the following:

• adoption
• a special guardianship order
• a child arrangements order
• a residence order

If a pupil has been registered as eligible for free school meals and has also left local-authority care for any of the reasons above, they attract the £2690 rate.

Children who have been in local-authority care for 1 day or more also attract £2690 of pupil premium funding. Funding for these pupils doesn’t go to their school; it goes to the Virtual School Head (VSH) in the local authority that looks after the child. VSHs are responsible for managing pupil premium funding for looked-after children.

(DfE, 2014)

Pupils in year groups reception to year 11 recorded as Ever 6 service child or in receipt of a child pension from the Ministry of Defence attract £360 rate.