Pupil Premium
At St Anne’s Catholic Voluntary Academy, we place the value of every child at the heart of everything that we do.
If a child needs support, irrespective of who they are, then they receive that support. We teach, assess, track and monitor all of our children carefully. Any child who is not making expected progress, or who is at risk of falling behind, is identified so that appropriate support and/or intervention can be put in place to help them overcome barriers to their learning.
What is Pupil Premium?
Pupil Premium is additional funding provided to schools to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
Schools use this funding to provide additional opportunities, resources and support to help eligible children achieve their full potential.
Free School Meals and Pupil Premium – from September 2026
From the 2026/27 academic year, the Government has expanded eligibility for benefits-related Free School Meals. Eligible pupils from households receiving Universal Credit are now entitled to receive a free school meal, regardless of household earnings.
There are now two categories of benefits-related Free School Meals:
Targeted Free School Meals (Targeted FSM)
Children from households receiving Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less, or who meet other qualifying criteria, may qualify for Targeted FSM.
Children eligible for Targeted FSM:
- receive free school meals;
- attract Pupil Premium and other disadvantage funding for the school; and
- may also qualify for other support linked to Targeted FSM eligibility, such as the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.
Expanded Free School Meals (Expanded FSM)
Children from households receiving Universal Credit whose annual household earnings are above £7,400 may qualify for Expanded FSM.
These children are entitled to receive free school meals. However, Expanded FSM is a meals-only entitlement and does not, by itself, attract Pupil Premium funding or other support linked specifically to Targeted FSM eligibility.
What about children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2?
All pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 at state-funded schools continue to be entitled to a free school meal through Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM).
However, it is still important for families receiving Universal Credit or other qualifying benefits to have their eligibility checked. A child may also qualify for Targeted FSM, which can generate additional Pupil Premium funding for the school.
Why is it important to check?
Even if your child already receives a free meal because they are in Reception, Year 1 or Year 2, or qualifies through Expanded FSM, checking your circumstances ensures that we can identify whether your child qualifies for Targeted FSM and the additional funding and support associated with it.
Pupil Premium funding can make an important difference to the opportunities and support we are able to provide for eligible pupils.
Further Information on Pupil Premium
Please visit the Department for Education’s guidance for further information about Pupil Premium funding.
Pupil Premium and Free School Meals Eligibility
Families can use Derbyshire County Council’s eligibility checking service to check whether their child qualifies for benefits-related Free School Meals and Pupil Premium.
The eligibility check will determine whether your child is eligible for benefits-related Free School Meals and, where applicable, whether they meet the criteria for Targeted FSM or Expanded FSM.
For further information and to check eligibility, please visit the Derbyshire County Council Free School Meals webpage.
Please also read the Pupil Premium Policy and Strategy below to see how the school uses Pupil Premium funding to support eligible pupils.
For further information please read our policies below:
3 Year Pupil Premium Strategy Plan 2023-2026- Reviewed December 2025
