This research project aimed to understand how schools are reporting spending their Pupil Premium funding through analysis of a sample of Pupil Premium strategy statements.
The EEF commissioned Verian to conduct this project over a two-year period, analysing a sample of statements from academic years 2024/25 and 2025/26.
This project page relates to the first cycle of the project, exploring strategy statements covering academic year 2024/25. Information on the second cycle of the project that explores statements covering academic year 2025/26 is available.
Education Endowment Foundation:Pupil Premium Statement Research (2024/25 Academic Year)
Pupil Premium Statement Research (2024/25 Academic Year)
BY:Behavioural Practice, Verian UK
Implementation costThe cost estimates in the Toolkits are based on the average cost of delivering the intervention.
Evidence strengthThis rating provides an overall estimate of the robustness of the evidence, to help support professional decision-making in schools.Not given for this trial
Impact (months)The impact measure shows the number of additional months of progress made, on average, by children and young people who received the intervention, compared to similar children and young people who did not.
-
Project info
Independent Evaluator
Verian
Understanding Pupil Premium spending in schools
Type of Trial: Policy research and evaluation
Completed June 2026
The Pupil Premium grant is additional government funding provided to publicly funded schools in England to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
Each year, schools are required to publish a Pupil Premium strategy statement on their website. These statements provide valuable information about how schools intend to use their funding to support disadvantaged pupils.
The outcomes of this analysis will inform the EEF’s activity – including its guidance to schools on how to use their Pupil Premium funding effectively – and to support policymakers and the EEF to better understand how Pupil Premium is spent.
1. The study found that the most frequently cited challenges facing disadvantaged pupils were English and literacy attainment, attendance and social, emotional and mental health and wellbeing. The prevalence of challenges differed by school phase and proportion of pupils eligible for Pupil Premium.
2. The study also found that schools allocated more budget to targeted academic support and high-quality teaching and less to wider strategies. Primary schools, schools with fewer pupils enrolled, and schools with fewer disadvantaged pupils allocated more to targeted support.
3. English and literacy interventions, staff training, and tuition were the most cited approaches to address challenges faced by disadvantaged pupils.
4. The study found that schools’ spending decisions generally aligned with their reported challenges. Commonly cited approaches like staff training, tuition delivery, and the use of teaching assistants likely addressed multiple or broader challenges.
5. The study also examined citation of external programmes, and found that two-thirds of schools cited at least one programme in their Pupil Premium strategy.
6. Additionally, the study investigated schools’ citation of evidence to support their strategies, and found that schools most frequently cited evidence from the EEF, followed by their own data, and the Department for Education (DfE).
Research report
Uploaded: • 974.1 KB - pdfDownload resource Research report
Study plan
Uploaded: • 618.5 KB - pdfDownload resource Study plan