Pupil and Sport Premiums

Please find details of how we have used the sport and pupil premium grants to improve outcomes for our pupils:

Pupil Premium Information

Pupil Premium is allocated to schools of statutory school age from low income families who are eligible for the Targeted element of Free School Meals (FSM), for children who are looked after by the Local authority (LAC) and to children whose parents are currently serving in the Armed Forces. Schools are able to spend the pupil premium as they see necessary to support the children who are in receipt of it. However, for accountability purposes, schools are required to show clearly how and where the money is spent.

Purpose

Pupil Premium is given to schools to provide additional support for children from low income families, children who are looked after and children with parents who are in the Services. The main purpose of the extra funding is to narrow the attainment gap between pupils from disadvantaged and or disrupted backgrounds and other pupils.

Funding

In most cases Pupil Premium is paid direct to schools. Schools decide how to use the funding, as they are best placed to assess what additional provision their pupils need. At Holy Cross Church of England Primary School, funding is reviewed and targeted according to need annually. It may differ each year according to the level of the funding and needs of the children but the provision we offer includes:

  • Subsidising school visits and activities which we would be funded or partly funded from parental contributions
  • Breakfast club provision 
  • Additional support to help children who are not making as much progress as we would expect in maths and/or reading and writing
  • Staff training and professional development
  • Support for children who may have specific social or emotional needs

Accountability

The Government believes that head teachers and school leaders should decide how best to use the Pupil Premium to ensure the best impact on pupils’ attainment and achievement. Schools leaders are held accountable for the impact of Pupil Premium spending through:

  • The performance tables which show the performance of disadvantaged pupils compared with their peers
  • The new Ofsted inspection framework, under which inspectors focus on the attainment of pupil groups, in particular those who are in receipt of the Pupil Premium
  • The reports for parents that schools must be published online
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Sports Premium

Earlier this year, the government announced that the £320 million PE and sport premium would be scrapped in favour of a new “partnerships network” with around 22 per cent less annual funding than the current scheme.

At present, the money flows directly to primary schools to boost provision. The new scheme will see a national provider appointed to support all schools – including secondary settings – instead

This academic year, we will receive funding of approximately £8000 to spend with the 2026-27 academic year, to support the transition from the current premium funding arrangements to the new partnerships model.

 The new network  model will continue to support key areas such as extra-curricular sport and physical activity, sport competitions, access to coaches and specialist practitioners and high-quality PE and physical activity opportunities.

The network will include three school support pathways.

A universal offer will see support available to all eligible schools, including continuing professional development, guidance and resources.

Targeted intervention will see the national delivery partner provide support to schools or pupil groups “identified as having the greatest need”.

Schools will also be able to request intervention, which will be considered “in accordance with eligibility criteria, available capacity and the overall objectives of the partnerships network”.

The network will be expected to provide CPD on the PE curriculum, both online and in-person and a digital platform to signpost schools to “high quality” external providers.

It will also be expected to provide links to local community sports venues and activity providers, support from sport national governing bodies and access to a programme of school competitions and festivals.