2025-26 Pupil Premium Strategy

Pupil Premium at Poppleton Road Primary School

What is Pupil Premium?

The Pupil Premium was introduced by the Department for Education (DfE) in 2011 as additional funding for pupils who are eligible for Free School Meals, are Looked After Children, or have parents currently serving in the armed forces. The purpose of this funding is to close the gap in attainment and opportunity between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.

Research shows that without targeted support, children from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to achieve the same academic outcomes as their peers. The Pupil Premium ensures schools have the resources to reduce this inequality and provide every child with the opportunity to thrive.

The DfE allows schools the flexibility to decide how to use this funding most effectively, with the expectation that it is carefully monitored and makes a measurable difference.

Our Approach at Poppleton Road Primary

At Poppleton Road, our commitment to equity and inclusion sits at the heart of everything we do. We are relentless in our drive to ensure that all children — regardless of their starting points or life circumstances — achieve their full potential.

We use Pupil Premium funding strategically to:

  • Invest early in our youngest learners in Nursery and EYFS, helping them build strong foundations and diminish gaps quickly.
  • Prioritise personal development, wellbeing and behaviour, ensuring every child feels safe, valued, and ready to learn.
  • Challenge and support our most able disadvantaged pupils, raising aspirations and ensuring they reach the highest standards.
  • Provide tailored interventions and close monitoring for children at risk of underachievement, responding swiftly to individual needs.
  • Strengthen inclusion by ensuring every child has access to enrichment, cultural capital, and wider opportunities beyond the classroom.

As children move through school the pupil premium funding is focused on continuing to diminish differences with National particularly for  disadvantaged pupils and other focus groups.

Poppleton Road’s pastoral care and rigorous monitoring and tracking of all pupils helps us to identify any pupils who are at risk of not making sufficient progress and have helped us to plan and implement good intervention strategies.

Our Relentless Drive for Equity

We believe that disadvantage should never be a barrier to success. Our strategy is not just about raising attainment — it is about creating a school culture where every child feels they belong, every voice is heard and every learner can succeed.

Through high-quality teaching, personalised support and a strong pastoral system, we strive to give all our pupils — especially those facing disadvantage — the best possible start in life.