Please read the information below which gives details of our Pupil Premium Grant and how we allocate the funding.

The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011 and is a sum of money in the school’s budget. The Government allocates a particular amount to each school based on the number of students who are known to be entitled to Free School Meals or have been in Local Authority care continuously for more than six months; this is because children in these categories have, nationally, consistently attained lower results in schools. The aim is that schools use the funding to help raise attainment and accelerate these pupils’ academic progress thereby ‘narrowing the gap’ between their performance and that of their peers.

Funding for those pupils whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces has also been introduced. This is known as the ‘Service Premium’.

Minehead Middle School acknowledges the responsibility for ‘socially disadvantaged’ pupils and we are committed to meeting their pastoral, social and academic needs in order to ‘narrow the gap’ between vulnerable pupils and their peers. The Pupil Premium and Service Premium are vital to that process, which is approached through the following principles:

• Ensuring that ‘Quality First’ teaching and learning opportunities meet the needs of all the pupils;
• Ensuring that appropriate provision is made for pupils who belong to vulnerable groups, including ensuring the needs of socially disadvantaged pupils are adequately assessed and addressed;
• Recognising that not all pupils who receive free school meals will be socially disadvantaged, or that not all pupils who are socially disadvantaged are registered or qualify for free school meals;
• Allocating the funding to support any pupil or groups of pupils the school has legitimately identified as being socially disadvantaged;
• Ensuring the progress of pupils is rigorously monitored and reviewed as part of the school’s assessment cycle;
• Linking performance management and whole school development targets to the achievement of these groups of pupils; The principles for spending are linked to our aim to ensure teaching and learning opportunities meet the needs of all pupils at Minehead Middle School and we ensure that appropriate provision is made for pupils who belong to vulnerable groups.