Pupil Premium and free school meals

Woodthorpe Primary recognises that all pupils regardless of their background should have equal access to a curriculum which will enable them to reach their potential. The pupil premium is a Government initiative that targets extra money to pupils from deprived backgrounds, which research shows underachieve compared to their peers.

The Government have used pupils entitled to Free School meals as an indicator for deprivation, and have deployed a fixed amount of money to schools per pupil, based on the number of pupils eligible for Free School meals. Looked after or the children of armed service personnel are also eligible for this increased funding.

The Government are not dictating how schools should spend this money, but are clear that schools will need to employ the strategies that they know will support these pupils to increase their attainment, and ‘narrow the gap’ between their attainment and the attainment of other pupils.

You can read our Pupil Premium Report from 2023-24 here.

Applying for free school meals

To apply for free school meals, please download the application form and return it to NYCC (the full address is on the bottom of the form).