What is the Pupil Premium?
The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011 and paid to local authorities by a grant based on the January census figures for pupils registered as eligible for free school meals (FSM) in Reception to Year 11. It is allocated to children from low-income families who are currently known to be eligible for FSM in both mainstream and non-mainstream settings.

Currently, for each FSM pupil a school receives £1,550 and for looked after child or previously looked after, a school receives £2,690.

Who is eligible for Free School Meals?
In September 2014, the Government introduced 'Universal Free School Meals' for all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.

Although all Infant School aged children now receive free school meals, it is really important that you still register your child as eligible for Free School Meals and Pupil Premium (You will be eligible if you are getting certain benefits)

Your child’s school will then receive extra money (the Pupil Premium) to spend on your child’s education. You can now check your eligibility for FSM using a simple online form available at:

www.hants.gov.uk/educationandlearning/freeschoolmeals/juniorsecondary

For this online service, all you need to do is enter your name, National Insurance number or Asylum number, address and your child’s details. Then press submit and find out if you are eligible. If the result comes back found, this means your child is eligible for FSM and the system automatically tells the school. You no longer have to find the paperwork and go into school to get it checked. 

Schools decide how the Pupil Premium is spent, since it is recognised that they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility.

The Service Children Premium
The Service Children Premium is currently £360. This is to support their emotional and social well-being. The Ministry of Defence has recently announced that the Service Children premium will be extended to include children whose parent has left the service up to three years ago, this is known as Ever 3. Please inform the school if one parent is in the services or has been in the last three years.

How is the funding used at Bishopswood Infant and Junior schools
Please click on the link below to look at our Pupil Premium Statements.

Changes To Free School Meals / Pupil Premium Eligibility From September 2026

Please read below the information regarding transitional protections, the forthcoming extension of Free School Meal (FSM) eligibility, the rechecking of FSM eligibility ahead of the new academic year.

Transitional Protections (in place until August 2026)

Transitional protections have been in effect since 1 April 2018 and will remain in place until the end of the 2025/26 school year. During this period:

• Any pupil who becomes eligible for a free school meal under the benefits‑based criteria will continue to receive a free meal until July 2026, regardless of any changes to household circumstances (including income rising above the eligibility threshold).

• From September 2026, all transitional protections will end. From this point onwards, households must meet the updated eligibility criteria in order for their child to receive a free school meal.

Extension of Free School Meal Eligibility, From September 2026

From the start of the 2026/27 school year, the Department for Education (DfE) will extend FSM entitlement to all children from households receiving Universal Credit.

Going forward, there will be 2 categories of benefits-based free school meals:

Targeted FSM - which continues to be based on the existing threshold, covering pupils who are in households in receipt of Universal Credit with annual household earnings of £7,400 or less. Pupils eligible for Targeted FSM will receive Pupil Premium funding.

Expanded FSM- a new category covering pupils who do not qualify for targeted FSM, but who are in households receiving Universal Credit. Pupils eligible for Expanded FSM will not receive Pupil Premium funding.

The OFSM tracker will clearly differentiate which category of benefits based Free School Meals a given student is eligible to receive.

Please note that a pupil can only receive a free school meal when:

• A claim for the meal has been submitted on their behalf, and 

• Their eligibility (or protected status, while applicable) has been verified by their school or the local authority.

If a parent or carer has already submitted an application via the Hampshire portal, they do not need to submit another application, regardless of the outcome of their previous submission. Applications which were previously rejected, but meet the new criteria, will automatically be updated to reflect eligibility. Submitting multiple applications will create duplicate records on the Online Free School Meals tracker. That said, if there is any uncertainty as to whether a historical application exists, we encourage parents or carers to submit an application.

If a parent or carer believes their child may be eligible under the expanded criteria and has not previously applied through the Hampshire FSM portal, they are encouraged to submit an application as early as possible ahead of the September 2026 term.

Although applications submitted before 1 September 2026 are likely to be assessed against the current eligibility criteria, all applications recorded on the Online Free School Meals tracker will be rechecked prior to the start of the new school year.

Rechecking FSM Eligibility – From September 2026

While transitional protections remain in place (until August 2026), schools and local authorities do not need to carry out ongoing eligibility checks.

Once transitional protections end:

• From September 2026, all pupils must meet the eligibility criteria to continue receiving free school meals.

• Schools and local authorities will be required to review eligibility annually.

Ahead of the new academic year, we will reassess all students currently listed on the Online Free School Meal checker and determine whether they are eligible as either targeted or expanded or whether they are now ineligible due to the cessation of their protected status. 

Applying for Free School Meals

Applications for Free School Meals should be submitted using the following link:

https://apply.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/hants