Pupil Premium

What is the Pupil Premium Grant?

The Pupil Premium Grant is additional funding allocated to schools to support pupils who are currently eligible for free school meals (FSM), or who have been eligible at any point within the last six years. It also includes funding for children from service families and those who are looked after by the local authority (LAC). Nationally, there remains a persistent gap in both attainment and progress between disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged peers.

How is the Pupil Premium Grant used at Cansfield High School?

At Cansfield High School, the Pupil Premium Grant is used strategically to raise attainment and accelerate progress for disadvantaged pupils across the full ability range. The school places a strong emphasis on high-quality teaching and the development of core literacy and numeracy skills, recognising their fundamental importance in enabling pupils to access the curriculum and achieve sustained academic success.

Alongside this, Cansfield High School is committed to fostering high aspirations. Disadvantaged pupils are supported to develop the knowledge, confidence, and ambition required to succeed in further education, employment, and future careers. This includes a focus on enrichment, personal development, and removing barriers that may limit opportunity.

How does Cansfield High School decide how to allocate the Pupil Premium Grant?

The allocation of Pupil Premium funding at Cansfield High School is informed by a combination of high-quality external research and rigorous internal analysis. Key evidence sources include:

• Research on the vocabulary gap, including findings from American Federation of Teachers publication The Early Catastrophe, which informs targeted literacy interventions
• Guidance from the Education Endowment Foundation, particularly the Pupil Premium Guide and Teaching and Learning Toolkit, which underpin evidence-informed decision making
• Reports from the Sutton Trust, including The Pupil Premium: Next Steps, which provide national insight into effective strategies for improving outcomes
• Internal expertise, including the work of S Dobinson, who has completed a Master’s in Education with a specific focus in his dissertation on the implementation and effectiveness of Pupil Premium strategies across varying geographical and socio-economic contexts

These are triangulated with school-level data, including attainment, progress, attendance, and pastoral indicators. Through this process, Cansfield High School has identified key barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils, including:

• Attendance and persistent absence
• Lower prior attainment in literacy and numeracy at Key Stage 2
• Aspirational outlook and future pathways
• Resilience and engagement with challenge

Is my child eligible for Free School Meals?

Cansfield High School regularly communicates with parents and carers to identify eligibility for free school meals, which enables access to Pupil Premium support. Families can apply directly through the local authority using the following link: https://forms.wigan.gov.uk/xfp/form/750