At Helmdon Primary School, we have high aspirations and ambitions for all of our pupils and we are determined to ensure that every child is given the chance to realise their full potential. We have a small percentage of children in receipt of Free School Meals and other Pupil Premium funding. We recognise that each and every pupil has individual needs and we work together as a professional staff and with families to identify any barriers to learning for each and every pupil. Pupil Premium funding represents a very small proportion of our overall budget. However, it allows us to provide personalised targeted support to identified pupils.

The Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) comprises part of mainstream funding which is allocated to all eligible children, including those from low-income families who are eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) or have been eligible at any time in the past 6 years (Ever 6 funding). This is because on a national level, children who have been eligible for FSM at any point in time have consistently lower educational attainment than those who have never been eligible for FSM. Looked After Children (LAC) or children who have been looked after at any time in the past also qualify for the Pupil Premium Grant, as do Service Children who are defined as children who have at least one parent in the British armed forces or children of parents serving in the armed forces of another nation who are currently stationed in England.

Our main objective in using the Pupil Premium Grant is to narrow the achievement gap between pupil groups. As a school we have a good record of ensuring that all of our pupils make good progress, but we are aware that it is often more challenging for pupils in the groups identified by the PPG to achieve these good outcomes, as reflected in statistics nationally. At Helmdon Primary School we are continually monitoring all of the children’s progress and in particular we have regard to children who belong to vulnerable groups. We allocate PPG funding based on a needs analysis and we ensure that all of the children who qualify for the PPG have their needs clearly identified and their progress is closely monitored throughout their time at the school.