Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will conduct a review of the appropriateness of the Pupil Premium scheme in relation to schools where the Ever 6 model does not reflect the number of pupils on roll; and will she make a statement.

The pupil premium provides schools with additional funding to raise the attainment of disadvantaged students of all abilities. This complements our work since 2010 to raise standards through reforms to the curriculum, assessment and accountability. The pupil premium, worth almost £2.5 billion this year alone, has so far provided about £11 billion of further funding for schools to improve the outcomes of their disadvantaged pupils.

As well as £1,900 for each pupil who is in care or who has left care through specific routes, schools receive £1,320 for primary-aged pupils and £935 for secondary-aged pupils who are currently or have been registered for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last six years (‘Ever 6 FSM’). Ever 6 FSM was one of several eligibility options set out in the 2010 public consultation on the pupil premium, and was adopted as the clear public preference. Analysis shows that pupils who have claimed FSM at any point in the past six years often under-achieve in comparison with their peers.

Schools have worked hard to identify eligible pupils who have not registered for FSM. We have published effective practice, including guidance and a model registration form at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-school-meals-and-pupil-premium-registration-form that seeks to help schools increase the proportion of eligible pupils that register for FSM; this will in turn lead to an increase in the pupil premium allocation awarded to the school.