If you believe your child may be eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) and the Pupil Premium Grant this information will be useful to you.


Pupil Premium Grant aims to raise achievement and improve outcomes for children in
families of low income. The grant includes the provision of free school meals.
Free School Meals is support available to families of low income. Free School Meals is part
of the Pupil Premium Grant.


Using the Grant at Birch Wood
We are committed to ensuring consistency and transparency in the way we allocate the
premium at Birch Wood, you will find this information on this page.

How to apply for Free School Meals/Pupil Premium

If you think that your income is low and you receive any of the benefits listed below then

call 0116 305 6588 to apply for Free School Meals, this is linked to the Pupil Premium which

will be triggered if you are eligible through:

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an
  • annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
  • Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working
  • Tax Credit
  • Universal Credit

Schools also receive Pupil Premium for children adopted from care or who left care under a
Special Guardianship Order on or after 30th December 2005, providing they are recorded
on the school’s database. Parents and guardians will need to inform the school, in
confidence, about their child’s circumstance and provide supporting evidence (for example
the Adoption Order).


We recognise that many adoptive parents do not currently declare to schools but we
wanted to make you aware of the additional funding that might be available to support your
child should you choose to declare this. Any information that we receive regarding this will
be dealt with the strictest confidence.

Previous Birch Wood Pupil Premium Strategy Statements:

PE and Sports Premium

The government are spending over £450 million on improving physical education (PE) and sport in primary schools since 2013. Schools can choose how they use the funding, for example to:

  • Hire specialist PE teachers or qualified sports coaches to work with primary teachers during PE lessons.
  • Support and involve the least active children by running after-school sports clubs and holiday clubs.
  • Provide resources and training courses in PE and sport for teachers.
  • Run sport competitions or increase pupils’ participation in the school games.
  • Run sports activities with other schools