Pupil Premium

The latest news, analysis, research and advice regarding disadvantaged pupils, including information on funding, free school meals and closing the attainment gap

Friday

17th Oct 2025

Most pupils in poverty missing out on free school meals
Free school meals eligibility is ‘no longer fit for purpose’ as a measure of pupil deprivation, EPI report warns
Majority of children in poverty miss out on free school meals

Thursday

9th Oct 2025

Inclusion ‘by design’: why it matters and how to do it
With the new Ofsted framework taking a broad view of inclusion, it’s even more important to make teaching inclusive ‘by design’ and not by accident, suggests Alex Quigley
Inclusive shapes

Friday

19th Sep 2025

7 in 10 primaries expect budget deficits as pupil numbers fall
Falling pupil rolls mean many schools are expecting to cut provision, such as reducing their curriculum offer, NFER research finds
Pennies falling from hands

Monday

9th Jun 2025

The FSM and pupil premium funding row explained
A DfE announcement on extending free school meals has sparked a political war of words. 91¶¶Òõ digs into the numbers behind the conflict
Free school meals

Wednesday

4th Jun 2025

Free school meals expanded - but no extra pupil premium cash
DfE lifts the £7,400 income cap for accessing FSM – but this won’t result in more pupil premium cash for schools and it is unclear how many extra pupils will benefit
Free school meals expanded no extra pupil premium cash

Friday

30th May 2025

20 children’s books set in flats
In the move to diversify bookshelves, schools shouldn’t forget about representing different types of homes, writes Becka White, as she shares her list of recommendations
20 children’s books set in flats

Friday

23rd May 2025

Revealed: The ‘fundamental unfairness’ of exam marking reviews
91¶¶Òõ findings expose the ‘disincentives’ for deprived schools in pursuing reviews of GCSE and A-level exam marks, sparking calls for changes to the system
Exam marking unfairness bigger portion
Exclusive

Thursday

22nd May 2025

Is this the way to close the early years attainment gap?
Boys eligible for free school meals aren’t reaching a good level of development as often as their peers, writes Sarah Charlton – but there are practices that can help
early years attainment gap gingerbread man

Monday

17th Mar 2025

Disadvantage gap: why the impact of absence is now clear
An author of a new EPI report on the link between absence and the disadvantage attainment gap outlines the key findings – and why it should spur action
Crossing a cravasse

Friday

7th Mar 2025

DfE has ‘limited’ knowledge of where £9.2bn pupil premium goes
MPs warn schools are using money aimed at supporting disadvantaged pupils to plug gaps elsewhere – but leaders say more funding is needed
DfE has ‘limited’ knowledge of where £9.2bn pupil premium goes

Thursday

6th Mar 2025

Many pupils in poverty missing out on free school meals
With research revealing the gap between the number of children in poverty and those getting free school meals, the Education Policy Institute echoes calls for automatic enrolment
Many pupils in poverty missing out on free school meals

Monday

17th Feb 2025

9 out of 10 areas with highest absence are in the North
A coalition of northern-based charities and organisations calls on the government to tackle the root causes of pupil absence
The North of England is worst affected by unauthorised pupil absence, analysis shows