Please see below a letter from the Prime Minister regarding the government’s latest campaign to support children’s health and learning.

Is your child eligible for free school meals?

If your child is eligible for free school meals, and you claim for them, your child’s academy receives extra funding called ‘pupil premium’.

Pupil premium is funding from the government that is given to academies to help students to reach their full potential, regardless of their background or financial situation. Academies receive £1,515 for primary students and £1,075 for secondary students who are registered for free school meals. The funding has to be used by the academy to enhance the individual learning of the qualifying student, and can be used in many ways including:

• Extra one-to-one or small group support within classrooms
• Employing extra teaching assistants to work within classes
• Running catch up sessions for those who need extra help
• Providing breakfast to improve attendance
• Providing extra tuition
• Providing music enrichment for families who cannot pay for them
• Assisting with the cost of educational visits
• Investing in resources that boost learning i.e. laptops or tablets

Students who are registered for free school meals do not have to eat them and cannot be identified as being registered for free school meals in anyway within the academy. However, the academy cannot claim the extra funding unless the student is registered.

Your child is eligible for free school meals, and therefore pupil premium funding for the academy if you access:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit – if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

Register your child for free school meals using the application form below (or link to appropriate website), to ensure the academy receives the relevant funding it is entitled to. Academy staff are happy to support with any applications.

Please complete your application by 19 September 2025.

If you need any support with the application, please contact the academy and a member of staff will be happy to help.

Northern Education Trust Buile Hill Academy has been a proud member of the trust since September 2024, and is thrilled to celebrate an exceptional set of GCSE results this year. The whole school community is enjoying this moment of success, which reflects the incredible dedication of students, staff and families, all underpinned by the trust’s values of aspiration, resilience, respect, integrity, and a relentless focus on outcomes.

• In English and maths combined, the percentage of students achieving a grade 4 or above has risen from 33% in 2024 to an impressive 65.1% in 2025 – an increase of over 32 percentage points.
• The percentage of students achieving a grade 5 or above has jumped from 16.8% in 2024 to a magnificent 49.4% in 2025, a gain of almost 33 percentage points.
• The academy’s average point score (APS) has also climbed significantly, from 30.4 in 2024 to 42.0 in 2025.
• The academy significantly improved its pupil premium results and looks set to exceed national averages for PP students by 10% in both 5+ and 4+ English and maths.
• The academy also significantly improved its results for SEND students, with a 14% increase in SEND students achieving 5+ in English and maths and a 17% increase in SEND students achieving 4+ compared with last year’s results.

James Haslam, Principal, said: “We are overjoyed with this year’s results, they represent so much more than just grades. They are the story of belief, teamwork and determination from our incredible students, our dedicated staff, and the families who stand alongside us. This transformation opens new doors of opportunity for our young people, and it shows the real impact of the Northern Education Trust model of school improvement. At Buile Hill we are raising aspirations every single day, and today’s success proves what our students are capable of. I could not be prouder of their resilience, their spirit, and the unwavering support of our staff and families who have made this possible.”

Dean Buckley, Associate Senior Executive Principal at Northern Education Trust added: “These outstanding results are a testament to the unwavering dedication, hard work, and resilience of both our students and staff. This achievement marks a significant milestone for the Buile Hill community, and every member of our school should take immense pride in what we’ve accomplished together. Buile Hill is now on track to be recognised as one of the most improved schools nationally, a truly remarkable transformation. My heartfelt congratulations to everyone involved. We couldn’t be prouder of our exceptional students.”

This year’s results mark a turning point for Buile Hill Academy and are being celebrated widely by students, staff, and families alike. They demonstrate the strength of the Northern Education Trust model, which is transforming lives through high expectations, excellent teaching, and a culture of respect and integrity.

Northern Education Trust is delighted to have raised a magnificent £22,680 for the Rainbow Trust children’s charity, through various fund-raising events by all our academies, such as colour fun-runs, quizzes and school fairs.

Rainbow Trust provides emotional and practical support to families who are caring for a seriously ill child. Their Family Support Workers are a lifeline for a family as they try to navigate the world of hospital appointments and treatments, whilst trying to keep family life as normal as possible. They can spend time with the siblings of the poorly child, allowing parents to concentrate on their seriously ill child, safe in the knowledge that siblings are being looked after by someone they can trust. The Family Support Worker can also give parents a much-needed break, looking after their poorly child while the parents spend valuable time with their other children, or even take some time out to just sit and enjoy a quite cuppa.

The donation of £22,680 will allow Rainbow Trust to support around 11 families for an entire year.

Katherine Burgess, Corporate and Community Fundraising Manager for the Rainbow Trust said: “We are so thankful for the support of Northern Education Trust, and thanks to your kind gift, we can continue to provide the best care and support to families so that they do not have to face childhood illness alone.”

For more information about the Rainbow Trust, look here – https://www.rainbowtrust.org.uk/