Pupil Premium

Your child could be entitled to receive a Government grant known as ‘pupil premium.’  It is a payment made to schools and is designed to support children who come from disadvantaged families throughout their education.  Pupil Premium funding for a primary aged child is worth £1,550 in 2026-27.  We use Pupil Premium funding to provide continued support for your child, to pay for music lessons, educational school trips, sports clubs or afterschool childcare or for something else that benefits the education of your child. It can be used for language assistance or for facilities for children who need additional support. Full details of what we are allowed to spend this money on is available at Pupil premium: overview – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  We publish how we spend this money in our Pupil Premium strategy and reports

Even if your child is entitled to free school meals but they take a packed lunch, tell us as we may be entitled to claim the pupil premium for you and your child should still benefit.  You may also then qualify for the Holiday Activity and Food Programme. OCC provide access to a variety of free holiday clubs (over Christmas, Easter and the summer holidays) including a meal each day.

How to Apply

To apply  fill in the Free School Meals (and Pupil Premium Funding) Application Form then come and talk to the school office (in confidence) with proof of benefit entitlement to complete your application.  Apply as soon as you think you are eligible because claims cannot be backdated. If your child is entitled to free school meals and you are on the following benefits, you may be eligible:

• Income support
• Income-based jobseekers’ allowance
• Income-related employment and support allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of state pension credit
• Child tax credit, provided that you are not also entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross income of £16,190 or less
• Working tax credit run-on, paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for working tax credit
• Universal credit, with a household income of less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including benefits)

Do you need other help with childcare costs?

To can see all the Oxfordshire information about support for child care costs on the OCC Family Information Service
Click here to download a Community Chest application form. The Community Chest provides funding that allows children and young people who rarely have opportunities to participate in fun, play, leisure and social activities, to do so.

Cost of living support

The supermarket vouchers provided during school holidays for children eligible for free school meals have now ended (the final payment was made at Easter 2026, as national government funding for this scheme has come to an end).  OCC recognise that many families continue to face pressures with the cost of living and there are other forms of support that you may be able to access. These include:

Oxfordshire Crisis Support Scheme : Help is available for households experiencing financial difficulties, including support with food, energy and essential costs. Details of how to apply are available at Oxfordshire Crisis Support Scheme

Details of how to access further support including advice and support on benefits, managing household bills, and accessing local services can be found at www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/council/help-rising-living-costs

If you think you may need support over the school holidays, we would encourage you to explore these options as early as possible.