The Pupil Premium is funding allocated to schools for the specific purpose of boosting the attainment of pupils from low-income families. Funding is based on children registered for a free school meal and children that have been in care for more than six months. Schools can access funding for any child who has been registered for a free school meal at any time over the previous six years even if they are no longer claiming them.

The Government believes that the Pupil Premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) and their wealthier peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most. Whilst schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit, schools are required to publish online information about how they have used the additional funding.