A critical reflection on the reasoning behind, and effectiveness of, the application of the Pupil Premium Grant within primary schools

The Pupil Premium Grant was introduced in 2011 with the aim to ‘close’ the attainment gap within education between children classified as disadvantaged and their peers. However, recent research has shown that this gap appears to be widening across the education sector. This article explores the reasons why the Pupil Premium Grant was introduced, giving commentary on the political rationale behind the additional funding. It asks whether the Pupil Premium Grant can ever hope to counteract the impact of a child’s socioeconomic background, especially when successive governments have continually changed political educational interventions. Parental engagement is also discussed, and the influence of a home learning environment demonstrated. The impact socioeconomic background has on cognitive development is also highlighted. Finally, successful strategies for using the Pupil Premium Grant are debated. It is suggested that currently there is no way to determine whether the Pupil Premium Grant is counteracting such a deep-rooted educational issue