Pupil Premium

The Pupil Premium is Government funding allocated to children from low income families who are currently known to be eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) and for children who have been looked after for more than 6 months. Any pupils who have been eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the last 6 years also qualify for the Pupil Premium.

The money can be used by the school to help to provide more support to the children, to help develop children’s academic progress, their self-esteem or their social and emotional skills.

For each child registered, for 2025-26 the school will receive:

• £1515 for pupils in Reception through to Year 6

• £2630 for pupils who have left local authority care through adoption/special guardianship order/child arrangements order/residence order

• £350 for pupils Reception to Year 6 recorded as Service child or in receipt of a child pension from Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or the War Pensions Scheme

  You can claim free school meals for each child who attends school in Cheshire East if you receive one of these benefits:

  • Universal Credit with no earned income or with net monthly earnings less than £616.67

  • Income Support

  • Income based Jobseeker's Allowance

  • Income related Employment Support Allowance

  • Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

  • The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit

  • Child Tax Credit  - as long as you have a yearly household income of less than £16,190 (as assessed by HM Revenue and Customs) and do not get Working Tax Credit

  • Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit)

If you have recently become unemployed or have reduced your working hours and have been granted the four week working tax credits run on, then you may be entitled to free school meals. Please call our Schools Team on 0300 123 5012 for advice.

It should be noted that children who receive “education suitable for children who have not attained compulsory school age” will still need to satisfy the additional requirement of “receiving education both before and after the lunch period”, before being eligible to receive free school meals.

In order to apply for Free School Meals please do so online www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/schools/school-meals/free_school_meals.aspx

or by calling 0300 123 5012

*Please note Cheshire East no longer offer a paper version of the form.