The Pupil Premium Grant is additional funding given to schools and academies to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers. It was first introduced in April 2011. Since then the amount schools and academies receive has increased. Schools and academies will receive funding based on the number of pupils who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

The key thing you need to know...

[will be added soon]

From 01 September 2026, things have changed...

The government have changed the Pupil Premium/Free School Meals strategy and criteria. This came into effect in August 2026, which all schools and local authorities must follow. Please see the Wokingham Borough Council website for full details: WBC PPG/Free School Meals.

To complete a form:

OPTION 1

1. Visit the WBC PPG/Free School Meals website.
2. Download/complete the application (if you need a printed copy, please ask the school office and we will print a form for you)
3. Once you have completed the form, please return it to the school office.
4. The school will then process the form by giving the information to Wokingham Borough Council, who will process the application with the government.
5. The school will then get a response from the council; we will then tell you the outcome. If your child is eligible for Pupil Premium/Free School Meals, the school will begin to receive funding in the academic year after they go onto the system as a child in receipt of Pupil Premium/Free School Meals.

OPTION 2

1. Visit the WBC PPG/Free School Meals website to remind yourself of the key information.
2. Complete the school's Microsoft Form (Pupil Premium / Free School Meals Form: Sonning – Fill in form) which mimics the paper WBC form.
3. The school will then process the form by giving the information to Wokingham Borough Council, who will process the application with the government.
4. The school will then get a response from the council; we will then tell you the outcome. If your child is eligible for Pupil Premium/Free School Meals, the school will begin to receive funding in the academic year after they go onto the system as a child in receipt of Pupil Premium/Free School Meals.

Please note that we do not hold any data and information on any family's income or family details.

Please note:

Pupil Premium / Free School Meals is different to Universal Infant Free School Meals; Universal Infant Free School Meals is the government's programme for offering fully paid-for school lunches for pupils aged 4-7 who are in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes. 

KEY PRINCIPLES FOR USING PPG / FSM FUNDING AT

SONNING CE PRIMARY:

Our PPG Lead is noted within our latest PPG Strategy statement document (found below).

At Sonning CE Primary School, we are committed to ensuring all our children make the best possible progress. We track the achievement of every child on a regular basis and do all we can to make sure each child achieves their potential. We also have a duty to ensure that no group of children are disadvantaged due to their gender, ethnic origin or family income or background.

1. Sonning CE Primary School is committed to raising achievement for pupils who are eligible for the Pupil Premium and the Pupil Premium Plus and knows these pupils must make faster progress than non-eligible pupils and is determined to achieve this.
2. Sonning CE Primary School never confuses eligible pupils with low ability and strives to ‘bring out the best’ in this group of pupils and support them to achieve the highest levels.
3. Sonning CE Primary School creates an overall package of support aimed to tackle the range of barriers including; attendance, behaviour, external factors, professional development focussing on improving outcomes for eligible pupils, improving the quality of teaching and learning, language acquisition, parental engagement, opportunities for first-hand experiences and development of literacy and numeracy skills.
4. Sonning CE Primary School uses assessment systems to track and enable thorough analysis of data (mainly Reading, Writing and Maths) to identify pupils who are underachieving and why.
5. Sonning CE Primary School directs resources and interventions to accelerate progress of eligible pupils and close the attainment gap compared to their peers.
6. Sonning CE Primary School uses data to carefully track the impact of targeted spending (interventions, projects or pedagogy) on attainment and progress of eligible pupils.
7. The Pupil Premium Leader, with the support of the Senior Leadership Team, Pupil Premium Governor and the Governing Body, has a clear overview of how funding is allocated and the difference it is making to the outcomes of pupils.
8. Sonning CE Primary School ensures all staff who have contact with these children know who is eligible for Pupil Premium, so they can take responsibility for accelerating progress and accountability is shared across the school.
9. The Governing Body is ambitious for pupils and closely monitors the school’s effectiveness in closing the gap between different groups of pupils.