Management Information Sheet

Pupil Premium allocations are based on those pupils on roll in the January Census with history of Free School Meal eligibility (FSM Ever 6) during the preceding 6 years. To ensure your school optimises its Pupil Premium allocation for 2015/16 all periods of FSM eligibility must be recorded in every census, as this information is used to populate the FSM history held within the National Pupil Database. Each of the census collections therefore requires the inclusion of any periods of free school meal eligibility since the previous census for those pupils on roll on census day. For the 2015 spring school census the period collected will be between 3 October 2014 and 15 January 2015.

The allocation you receive in your school budget share issued in February is an indicative figure that is provided by the Education Funding Agency (EFA). This figure is adjusted in October when we receive the actual allocations from the EFA, after they have checked the FSM Ever 6 history for all pupils on roll in the January census.

Please note it is not the pupils on roll in the October, autumn census that are used to calculate Pupil Premium.

The indicative allocations issued by the EFA are based on the previous year. However schools are able to search for their pupil's FSM Ever 6 history and can download a list of those pupils, currently eligible for Pupil Premium from the Key to Success website. Schools can use this to forecast their Pupil Premium allocations for the following year and to keep their Pupil Premium indicators up to date within their MI systems. Unfortunately the Local Authority is not able to access this pupil level data to provide a more accurate forecast of Pupil Premium allocations in School Budgets issued in February.

There is concern that the Universal Infant Free School Meal offer may deter parents of Year R, 1 and 2 pupils from registering their eligibility for Free School Meals. The Department for Education has recently produced a new form, (attached) that you may wish to send to parents of infant class pupils who have not already completed an application (including new pupils to the school). The form seeks to help parents understand the link between Free School Meals eligibility and pupil premium..

Please only send new eligibility checks, to the Admissions team. We do not need the forms for pupils that are currently registered as claiming. Please send your forms as soon as you receive them, to prevent a backlog of forms and so that the checks can be completed and information confirmed with schools prior to the January census.

Please contact Schools Finance for queries on Pupil Premium and Susan Harris, Admissions, for any queries on Free School Meal eligibility checks and forms. Your MI System support helpdesk should be able to help with queries regarding the use of the pupil premium indicators within your MIS.