At Abbey Park First & Nursery School we have high aspirations and ambitions for our children and we believe that no child should be left behind. We strongly believe that it is not about where you come from but your passion and thirst for knowledge and your dedication and commitment to learning that make the difference between success and failure. We are determined to ensure that our children are given every chance to realise their full potential. Pupil Premium funding represents part of our budget we aim to ensure it is spent to maximum effect.

Some background information from the Department for Education:

• 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.
• In most cases the Pupil Premium is allocated to schools and is clearly identifiable. It is for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium, allocated to schools per FSM pupil, is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility.
• Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit. However, they will be held accountable for how they have used the additional funding to support pupils from low-income families. New measures will be included in the performance tables that will capture the achievement of those deprived pupils covered by the Pupil Premium.
• The Pupil Premium is allocated to children who have been eligible for FSM at any point in the last 6 years in both mainstream and non-mainstream settings and children who are considered to be Looked After Children.
• A premium has also been introduced for children whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces. This service premium is designed to address the emotional and social well-being of these pupils.