Pupil Premium Funding
As you will be aware, the Government have introduced Pupil Premium Funding over the last few years. This is additional targeted income on top of the existing funding provided to schools, calculated on the number of pupils from low income families on the school roll. This funding is specifically targeted at narrowing the national attainment gap between pupils from low income families and their peers.
What does this mean for us?
If we were able to increase the number of children recorded as eligible for Pupil Premium then we will:
- Have more money for classroom resources and additional classroom support.
- Be able to offer more opportunities for additional targeted 1 to 1 tuition of pupils
- Increase the availability of small group work for pupils
- Offer financial support for pupils on school visits, residential visits, individual music lessons and school uniform.
- One free PE or Games Kit (KS2) per year.
All children who are receiving or have received income based free school meals in the last 6 years will receive pupil premium funding. This is additional
funding to support your child in school. It is currently £1,320 per year, Schools also receive £1,900 for each pupil who has left local-authority care. If you or your partner are working for our military services your child’s school is automatically entitled to £400 per year. To help us provide the extra support
your child may need.
If you feel that you satisfy any of the criteria above please inform the school office.
Income Based Free School Meals
Please see below the criteria for successfully claiming for free school meals for your child:
- Income Support (IS)
- Income-based (not contribution-based) Job Seeker’s Allowance (IBJSA)
- The Guarantee element of the State Pension Credit.
- Income-related employment and support allowance or
- Financially supported by NASS (National Asylum Support Service).
- Children who receive IS or IBJSA in their own right are also entitled to receive free school meals.
Child Tax Credit except if you meet ANY of the following criteria –
- entitled to working tax credit (regardless of income)
- have an annual income in excess of £16,190 (Please note that this figure is for April 2015 and that it can change each year).
Where a parent is entitled to Working Tax Credit during the four-week period immediately after their employment ceases, or after they start to work less than 16 hours per week, their children are entitled to free school lunch.
If you feel you satisfy these criteria simply download an application form found below or call into the school office to collect a paper copy. Then return the completed form to the school office. Your application will be processed usually with 24 hours, successful applicants will be entitled to the following:
- Free school lunch
- Free school milk
- Pupil premium funding for the next 6 years of your child’s education, this will be transferred to your child’s next school if appropriate
There will be no additional free school meal application paper work required by you while your child is at Monks. We will automatically check your eligibility every term, and will inform you of any changes.
Universal Free School Meals
Universal free school meal funding is a government initiative calculated based upon the number of eligible children having a school lunch on our termly census day. We will inform you when this is as it is important that your child has a meal on this day, as it generates funding for the rest of the term.
Although your child will automatically receive universal free school meals while they are in Reception Class 1 & 2 if you feel you fulfil the criteria for income based free school meals and pupil premium it is essential that you apply separately for this additional support for your child.
Free School Milk
All children who are entitled to income based free school meals will also receive free school milk. Download a form from our website complete the free school milk application, or request a paper copy from the school office. Return the completed form to the school office by Tuesday to start your free milk the following week.
All pupils under 5 are also entitled to daily free school milk funded by the government. However, at Monks we do not want to differentiate between our pupils in Reception class. The Governors have agreed to fund free daily milk for all of our pupils while they are in Reception class following their 5th birthday. All you have to do to allow your child to receive their free daily milk is register on the Cool Milk website, please register on the website, or collect a paper registration form from the school office.