Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) – Rationale and Use of Funding

Purpose of the EYPP
The Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP) provides additional funding to schools for three- and four-year-old children who meet specific eligibility criteria, such as those from lower-income families or who have been in care. The aim of the EYPP is to narrow the attainment gap by improving the quality of early education and ensuring every child has the best possible start to learning.

Our Approach
At Lionel Walden, we are committed to ensuring that every child in our Pre School class is ready to learn, respectful, and safe, in line with our whole-school ethos. EYPP funding is used strategically to enhance provision, promote inclusion, and strengthen the quality of adult–child interactions that drive early development.

Principles Guiding Use of EYPP
EYPP funding is used to:

• Improve the quality of teaching and learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
• Provide targeted interventions that address barriers to learning, including communication, language, and social–emotional needs.
• Support parental engagement, empowering families to contribute to home learning.
• Enrich the learning environment to ensure children experience high-quality, inclusive early education.

Permitted and Prohibited Uses
EYPP funding must be used to enhance provision, not to replace or subsidise core funding. Therefore:

• EYPP cannot be used to pay for or extend funded hours or cover sessional fees for attendance.
• EYPP may be used to fund additional adult support, small-group work, or individualised interventions that directly improve a child’s developmental outcomes.
• EYPP may contribute towards evidence-based training or resources that raise the quality of provision for eligible children.

Exceptional Use
In exceptional cases, where extending a child’s access to high-quality provision is a clearly evidenced part of a targeted support plan, the school may allocate a proportion of EYPP funding towards this. Such decisions must:

• Be based on individual need, supported by assessment and professional discussion.
• Be demonstrably linked to improving the child’s learning or wellbeing outcomes.
• Be approved by the EYFS Leader and monitored through the EYPP impact review process.

Monitoring and Accountability
The impact of EYPP spending is reviewed termly by the EYFS Leader and Headteacher. Progress is tracked through observation, developmental assessments, and pupil progress discussions.  Findings are reported to the Governing Body as part of the school’s wider Pupil Premium and Early Years provision reporting, ensuring transparency and effective use of public funds.