What is the Service Pupil Premium?
The Service Pupil Premium (SPP) is additional funding provided to schools in England to support the unique needs of children whose parents are serving in the armed forces. It’s designed to help schools offer pastoral care and extra support during times of challenge—such as deployment, transitions between schools, or emotional wellbeing concerns.
SPP is not intended to support academic attainment directly, but rather to nurture the social and emotional resilience of service-connected pupils, helping them feel secure, settled, and included in school life.
Schools receive funding based on the number of eligible pupils on roll, and it can be used in flexible ways to suit local needs—for example:
Offering counselling or wellbeing programmes
Providing a dedicated staff member for pastoral support
Running transition activities or peer mentoring schemes
Parents are encouraged to let their child’s school know if one or both are currently serving so the school can register their child for SPP and tailor support appropriately.
Impact of Service Life
