Schools in Wales receive a range of grants from the Welsh Government, the Local Authority and the regional consortium to support specific priorities and national reforms. During the 2025–2026 financial year, our school received the following funding: the Welsh Education Grant (WEG) (£2,799) to support general educational priorities and school improvement activity; the Standards Grant (£299,942) to raise attainment and improve outcomes for learners, particularly in literacy, numeracy and wellbeing; the Pupil Development Grant (PDG) (£145,725) to reduce the impact of poverty on educational achievement and support learners eligible for free school meals; the Early Years Pupil Development Grant (EYPDG) (£40,250) to support disadvantaged learners in the early years; the Additional Learning Needs (ALN) Implementation (Reform) Grant (£13,963) to support the implementation of the ALN reforms and improve provision for learners with additional learning needs; the Professional Learning (PL) Reform Grant (£13,678) to support high-quality professional learning for staff in line with national reforms; and School Support Networking funding (£7,000) to enable collaboration, sharing of best practice and joint working with other schools. All grant funding is used in line with its intended purpose to support learners, staff development and continuous school improvement.

We are required to publish a breakdown of how we spend our Pupil Development Grant (PDG) on our website. This is so that parents and carers can see how the funding is being used to improve learning and support for pupils who face additional challenges.

The Pupil Development Grant is a Welsh Government initiative that helps schools reduce the impact of poverty on educational outcomes. It is specifically designed to support learners who are eligible for means-tested Free School Meals (eFSM) and, in some cases, looked-after children. The funding enables schools to provide targeted support such as additional teaching time, tailored learning interventions, pastoral support and enrichment activities that help every pupil thrive.

Our PDG allocation for 2025–2026 is based on the number of children and families at our school who are registered as eligible for Free School Meals. The more eligible learners there are, the larger the allocation, because this helps to direct funding where it is most needed to support equity and opportunity.

We also want to encourage all eligible families to apply for the School Essentials Grant. This separate Welsh Government grant offers up to £125 per child (and up to £200 for learners entering Year 7) to help with essential school costs such as uniform, stationery, kit and equipment. Making a claim not only provides direct support to families, but can also bring additional funding into your child’s school to support learning and participation.

For full details on eligibility and how to apply for the School Essentials Grant, please visit the Welsh Government’s Get help with school costs page here:
https://www.gov.wales/get-help-school-costs

If you think your child might be eligible for Free School Meals or the School Essentials Grant but you haven’t applied yet, we strongly encourage you to check and apply – it can make a real difference to your family and help the school secure vital additional support.

2023-24 Allocation

PDG £143,750
EYPDG £41,400

 

2024-25 Allocation

PDG £161,182
EYPDG £24,150

23.6% of pupils

2025-26 Allocation

PDG £145,725
EYPDG £40,250

27.6% of pupils