Pupil Premium

The Pupil Premium Strategy is evaluated in the Autumn term, following this the strategy for 2025 – 2026 will be compiled and published by 31st December 2025.

Our Pupil Premium policy can be found here

Register for free school meals to help out your school

If your child is eligible for free school meals, it’s worth registering them even if they’re not going to have the school lunch. This is because schools receive a ‘pupil premium’ – an extra payment for each eligible child which they can spend on useful services. Registering might also get you extra help for things like music lessons or school trips.

Around 1.8 million UK children are entitled to free school meals but more than 330,000 pupils don’t get their entitlement. For some children, the social stigma or even teasing attached to being on free dinners puts them off. Often parents don’t realise they’re entitled or are discouraged by the likely bureaucracy.

Does it matter?
Children who eat well during the day concentrate better in lessons and therefore achieve higher. Sitting down to a hot nutritious meal is an important part of children’s social education. Also, one child in four doesn’t get a hot dinner in the evening.

Other reasons why free school dinners are important:

7% of school children don’t eat breakfast
Up to 10% of children are deterred from buying lunch at school by the cost
Researchers found students scored higher in tests when the nutritional content of school meals was improved
70% of UK parents say there is too little time to prepare meals and then enjoy eating them as a family so the school meal is the only opportunity many children have to enjoy eating as a social activity
Weight-for-weight, UK pupils eat four times as much confectionery as green vegetables
In an average class of 30 children, six pupils will not eat any fruit in a week

Who qualifies?
In England, 21% of pupils are eligible for free school meals. Parents or guardians in England do not have to pay for school meals if they receive any of the following:

Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related employment and support allowance
The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Child Tax Credit, provided they are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs
Where a parent is entitled to Working Tax Credit Run-on, which is the payment someone receives for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit, their children are entitled to free school lunches
Children who receive a qualifying benefit in their own right are also eligible to receive free school meals

Leicestershire residents can apply in the following ways:
You have to register and apply directly to Leicestershire County Council – please click on the link Free School Meals | Leicestershire County Council and it will take you to the relevant page where you can apply online or, you can contact them on 0116 305 5417 or email freeschoolmeals@leics.gov.uk.

Alternatively, you can go in person to:
County Hall
Glenfield
Leicester
LE3 8RB

If you are applying in person, please be sure to bring documentary proof that you are currently in receipt of any of the above qualifying benefits, or confirmation that you receive support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (eg IND letter or a NASS letter).

More information can be found at www.gov.uk/apply-free-school-meals.

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