Ofsted inspection: pupil premium spending

Understand how Ofsted will inspect your school's use of the pupil premium. Doing so won't just prepare you for inspection, but will also inform your strategic plans, as well as how you monitor and challenge the effectiveness of your pupil premium spending.

Last reviewed on 16 August 2023
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 4599
Contents
  1. Understand your role in the inspection of pupil premium spending
  2. Pupil premium affects the 'leadership and management' judgement
  3. Know what inspectors are looking for
  4. Know how inspectors will gather evidence

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Understand your role in the inspection of pupil premium spending

Monitoring the use of pupil premium funds is part of your governing board's core function to oversee financial performance of the school and make sure its money is well spent. 

While you aren't expected to direct exactly how pupil premium funding is spent, inspectors will look at how effectively you've challenged the impact of that spending to drive up attainment for disadvantaged pupils.

Pupil premium affects the 'leadership and management' judgement

There's no separate graded judgement for pupil premium spending, but Ofsted will look for confirmation that the way your school uses its funding is based on good evidence. 

Inspectors will consider:

You'll find this in paragraphs 313, 326 and 329 of

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