SHINE and partners welcome proposal to reform Pupil Premium
SHINE and its partners have welcomed news that the government is proposing a new model to the way deprivation funding is distributed to schools.
We have long campaigned for a fairer distribution of the Pupil Premium to be targeted at children facing long-term disadvantage.
In the Schools White Paper, “Every child achieving and thriving”, the Government states: “We will develop and test a new model for targeting disadvantage funding to help schools narrow the attainment gap.”
The White Paper adds: “While these proposals continue to be developed, the new model has the potential to significantly rebalance how deprivation funding is distributed to schools, and, in turn, the level of support that schools with the poorest children receive.
“While developing the new model, we are considering how funding rates could vary according to the level of disadvantage, so that children with more entrenched disadvantage attract more funding. The model could take into account how low family income is, and for how long this has been the case.”
In response to the announcement, Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “The government is right to recognise that disadvantage is not binary and that the depth and persistence of poverty also has an effect. Our research with the University of Bristol has shown that pupils experiencing long-term disadvantage (those eligible for free school meals for four years or more) are around a grade and a half behind their peers by GCSE, and that gap has widened since the pandemic. A funding system based on a simple snapshot measure cannot properly reflect that reality.
“We welcome the commitment to consult on a new approach which could better recognise sustained disadvantage and target funding towards pupils facing the greatest barriers, as well as the target to halve the disadvantage gap. This reflects what the Coalition for Pupil Premium Reform has consistently argued – that the system must properly account for the duration and depth of disadvantage, not just temporary eligibility for free school meals.”
Fiona Spellman, CEO of SHINE, said: “This is an important opportunity to build a system where funding genuinely follows need. Reform must ensure that long-term disadvantage is properly recognised, and that schools serving communities with the highest concentrations of persistent poverty have the resources to provide sustained, evidence-based support.
“Changing the formula alone will not be enough if the real-terms value of the Pupil Premium continues to fall. Done properly, this reform could help ensure fewer children’s life chances are determined by their background, but it must be matched with the funding and long-term commitment needed to close the gap.”
Ed Marsh, Chief Executive of The Tutor Trust, said: “Recognition of sustained education inequality is long overdue. Every day we work with schools supporting pupils who have experienced years of economic hardship, and the evidence is clear that short-term measures do not capture the scale of the challenge.
“A funding system that better reflects persistent poverty would enable schools to plan and deliver high-quality, evidence-based interventions with greater certainty. If matched with adequate investment, this reform could play a significant role in narrowing the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils in the North and their peers elsewhere.”
Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, said: “Recognition that disadvantage is deep, persistent and geographically concentrated is highly significant. For too long, funding has relied on snapshot measures that fail to reflect the long-term structural poverty experienced in parts of the North East. A reformed Pupil Premium that properly accounts for the duration and depth of disadvantage has the potential to be one of the most important steps in narrowing regional educational inequality in a generation.
“However, reform must not dilute overall funding. If done properly, this consultation offers a real opportunity to align funding more closely with need and ensure schools serving communities facing entrenched disadvantage have the stability and resources required to close the gap.”