Free School Meals and Pupil Premium 2024-25

It has never been easier to apply for free school meals. Visit the Cambridge County Council website at https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/children-and-families/schools-learning/help-with-school-learning-costs/free-school-meals for clear guidance on how to apply online. The application form here is easy to complete, but we can help you with this at school if you would like further assistance. 

Pupils who receive free school meals have £2.95 placed on their Cashless Catering cards at the start of every school day. This can be spent at break or lunchtime in the buttery or canteen. The pupil cannot be identified as receiving free school meals when they use their card so the process is completely private. 

When you register your children for Free School Meals, the College will receive a sum of money from the government for each child. This is called the Pupil Premium. The pupil premium currently stands at £1,050.00 per child per year and is used to help fund a range of educational benefits for pupils across the school such as targeted small group interventions, additional pastoral support, or inclusion in school activities such as extra-curricular clubs, school trips, and music lessons. 

Please contact Mrs Collins at school, in confidence, on 01223 262503  ext 11025 with any queries regarding Free School Meals or Mr Nigel Carrick on 01223 262503 ext 11053 to discuss the Pupil Premium.

Pupil Premium

The pupil premium was introduced in April 2011 by the coalition government to address the gap in attainment between students deemed ‘disadvantaged’ and their peers.  Children are considered disadvantaged if eligible for free school meals (or have been eligible in the last six years), looked after, or within families who work in armed forces.  The pupil premium is paid to pupils between the ages of 5 and 16; it should be spent in ways that close the gap in attainment between these students and their peers.  The current rate of payment is £1,050 per FSM or Ever 6 FSM pupil, £2,570 per looked-after child (who has been in care for more than six months), and £340 per service child or Ever 6 service child.

Our Aims

• Provide excellent teaching and learning opportunities that meet the needs of all pupils
• Make appropriate provision for all student groups
• Provide outstanding pastoral care

Provision

•  Achievement and standards: interventions to enable progress of targeted individuals at all levels of ability
• Learning support: identify additional barriers to learning other than specific educational needs and put in place support
• Pastoral care: raise self-esteem, extend personal skills, mentoring, and options and careers support
•  Enrichment: support learning outside the classroom through summer schools, small group literacy and numeracy support, educational       visits, social events, access to equipment
• Parents: communicate regularly with parents, offer support
• External services: use external expertise to support students

If you would like any further information on this area, please contact me via the college.

Mr Nigel Carrick

Assistant Principal

Figures quoted above are from Sept 2024

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium/pupil-premium