Recovery Premium Funding
Purpose
The recovery premium grant is part of the government’s package of funding to support pupils whose education has been impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19).
It is a time-limited grant providing over £300m of additional funding for state-funded schools in the 2021 to 2022 academic year and £1bn across the 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 academic years.
It is focused on pupil premium eligible pupils and pupils in specialist settings such as special schools, special units and pupil referral units (PRUs). This is because of the additional impact of the pandemic on these students.
However, schools can use it to deliver evidence-based approaches for supporting any pupil based on an assessment of individual need.
Funding rates for 2023 to 2024
Recovery premium allocations will be calculated on a per pupil basis, based on the following rates:
For other eligible schools, including special education units in mainstream schools, the rate is double the mainstream rate:
£290 per pupil in primary education.
Using recovery premium funding
Like the pupil premium, schools can:
spend the recovery premium on a wider cohort of pupils than those who are eligible for the funding
direct recovery premium spending where they think the need is greatest
Funding for looked-after children should be managed by the local authority virtual school head.
They should work with schools, including the designated teacher, to decide how to use the funding effectively to support looked-after children.
Reporting and accountability
Schools must show they are using their recovery premium effectively:
by reporting on their use of recovery premium as part of their pupil premium strategy statement
OFSTED inspectors may discuss plans schools have to spend their recovery premium funding