Pupil Premium

What is Pupil Premium?

Introduced in 2011, the pupil premium is a sum of money given to schools each year by the Government to improve the attainment of disadvantaged children.

This is based on research showing that children from low income families perform less well at school than their peers.

Often, children who are entitled to pupil premium face challenges such as poor language and communication skills, lack of confidence and issues with attendance and punctuality.  The pupil premium is intended to directly benefit the children who are eligible, helping to narrow the gap between them and their classmates.

How do I know if my child is eligible for the Pupil Premium funding?

Your child may be eligible for free school meals if you are in receipt of any of the following benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

In addition, children who are or have been in care, and children who have a parent who is or was in the armed forces are also entitled to the pupil premium.

In addition, the following pupils will be protected against losing their free school meals as follows:

• Pupils who were eligible on 1 April 2018, or who became eligible since then, continue to receive free meals, even if their household is no longer eligible under the benefits/low-earnings criteria, up until March 2025 and then until the end of their phase of education
• New applicants for free school meals on or after 1 April 2018, who are in receipt of Universal Credit and have earnings above the earned income threshold, will not be eligible for free school meals.

The Universal Credit rollout is currently expected to complete in March 2025.

If your child is eligible for free school meals, they’ll remain eligible until they finish the phase of schooling (primary or secondary) they’re in on 31 March 2025.

If your child qualifies for free school meals or has at any point in the past six years, it's important that you tell their school - even if they're in Reception or KS1 and receive universal school meals for infant pupils, or are in KS2 and take a packed lunch - as this enables them to claim pupil premium.

Check if you can receive free school meals.  Click the image below to be taken to the website

Pupil Premium contact at Minet Junior School

Mrs Dobson and Mrs Costello are the Admissions Officers. They are here to help support you and your family with any questions or queries about Pupil Premium or Free School Meals.

Please feel free to contact them on 01895 462 362.

The following are the targeted/specific programmes run to help with emotional and academic needs to help close the gap for our Pupil Premium children:

• Intervention/small group work with a teacher or a TA

• Intervention programmes –e.g. Fresh Start, read, write inc. Maths tracker, Numicon

• Learning mentor sessions – 1:1 Nurture, Seasons for Growth, self-esteem, Lego therapy..

• Breakfast club (Free of charge to our PPM and Ever 6 pupils)

• Hot School meal at lunchtime

• A range of after school clubs

• Key support worker – To work with vulnerable families as part of Early Intervention including supporting attendance.

• Assistance with Educational visits.

• EAL targeted support

• Free Fruit daily

• Targeted support for emotional and behaviour barriers: Art therapy, Thrive Practitioner and a Boxing mentor programme.

• A laptop to access all online platforms and complete homework on Teams.

Household Support Fund

The government announced that the Household Support Fund scheme will be extended from Monday 1 April until Monday 30th September 2024. 

About the Household Support Fund

This new grant funding to local authorities is intended to support low-income households with the cost of food, utilities (and essential goods, in exceptional circumstances).    

Hillingdon have received approximately £2 million to support Hillingdon residents. 

This scheme will run until no later than Monday 30th September 2024. Once funds have been exhausted, no further payments will be made.   

Households with children aged 0 to 19-years-old and in receipt of benefit related free school meals  

To be eligible for a grant, you must live in a household with children under 19-years-old who attend a school within Hillingdon and be in receipt of at least 1 of the following benefits:  

• income support  
• income-based jobseeker's allowance  
• income-related employment and support allowance  
• the guaranteed element of pension credit  
• child tax credit (providing you are not also entitled to working tax credit and your annual gross income is no more than £16,190 )
• working tax credit run-on (paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for working tax credit)  
• universal credit - your household income must be less than £7,400 a year after tax and not including any benefits you get  
• housing benefit and/or council tax reduction.

Food  

Subject to eligibility, you will receive £15 per child per week for a total of 8 weeks from April to September 2024.

These payments will be made the week before the school holiday period.

How to apply

We will be contacting households eligible for benefit-related free school meals using the data from schools.  

Important:

• If your child receives benefit-related free school meals and you have not received a meal voucher, you must contact the school to check your eligibility we will then notify Hillingdon Council. 

Help with Holiday Childcare Costs

Working families with children aged 0-11 years old (up to 16 years old if the child has a disability) can get help with their childcare costs through Tax-Free Childcare. With a Tax-Free Childcare account, families could save up to £2000 per child per year. Tax-Free Childcare can be used for approved childcare including holiday clubs, after school clubs and childminders. Find out more about eligibility and how to apply: Get Tax-Free Childcare: step by step - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)