08 Jun Secretary of State for Education extends 2021-2022 Pupil Premium Grant
Following a judicial review brought on behalf of two clients, the Secretary of State has agreed to extend the pupil premium for the financial year April 2021-2022, so as to mirror the criteria for the “No Recourse to Public Funds” free school meals extension.
Schools should be able to recover the Grant for each and every pupil on their roll who, on the Autumn 2020 school census (i.e. 1 October 2020), were eligible for FSM under the aforementioned temporary NRPF extension at any time from when the extension was implemented until 1 October 2020. This means they do not need to have been eligible on the date of 1 October 2020, provided they were eligible at some stage after the extension was implemented.
The Government recently announced the implementation of the process by which schools and academies can apply for additional pupil premium funding by using the following online form and Guidance:
https://form.education.gov.uk/service/nrpf
The deadline to submit these claims is 5 PM on 30 June 2021.
Rachel Etheridge who acts for the Claimants says,
“We are fortunate to live in a country where every child can receive an education, regardless of their parents’ background. Yet, in stark contrast, thousands of impoverished children have been prevented from claiming free school meals and the Pupil Premium Grant simply because their parents are restricted from claiming welfare benefits due to their immigration status.
Whilst the latest concession from the Secretary of State should see vast amounts of additional educational funding for these children, we implore the Secretary of State to make good on the Government’s commitment that no child’s education suffers because of the economic position of their parents by permanently extending the Grant and FSM”.
For more information about the outcome, please read the following:
- Final order;
- The Government’s response to our pre-action letter;
- Our technical note on the extension to the Grant.
- Our work on the Healthy Starts Scheme, Early Nursery Funding and Free School Meals.
Rachel Etheridge acted for the Claimants and was advised by Julia Smyth and David Blundell QC of Landmark Chambers. Please contact our Clare Jennings and Olivia Halse for more information.