Benton Park School, along with other schools, receives additional funding from the Government called the Pupil Premium Grant (PP). Pupil Premium funding is a government initiative designed to target resources on those students deemed to be from a disadvantaged background. Specifically the Pupil Premium money is provided for those students who have been on Free School Meals (FSM) at any point over the past 6 years (Ever6), children who have been looked after continuously for at least 6 months (CLA), or children who ceased to be looked after by a local authority because of adoption, special guardianship order, child arrangements order or residence order For 2023/24 the rates are as follows; £1035 per eligible pupil in secondary education, £2,530 for those who are looked after or adopted from care and £335 for service children.
Neither the government nor any government agencies have dictated how the Pupil Premium money should be spent, but what is clear is that the money should be used to promote strategies, which narrow the attainment gap between the highest and lowest achieving pupils.