Pupil premium: payment dates for 2025-26

Find out how when you'll receive your payments and how to estimate your allocation for the full academic year.

Last reviewed on 26 March 2025See updates
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Contents
  1. Understand how the pupil premium is allocated
  2. Payment dates in 2025-26
  3. How to calculate academic year allocations

Understand how the pupil premium is allocated

  • Pupil premium funding is allocated for the financial, rather than the academic year
  • In 2025-26, for mainstream and special schools it's allocated based on the numbers of eligible pupils recorded on your roll in the October 2024 census
  • For pupil referral units (PRUs) it’s allocated based on the number of eligible pupils recorded in the January 2025 census
  • Maintained schools – LAs receive the money from the DfE and allocate it out to their schools
  • Academies and non-maintained special schools – receive the money directly from the DfE

See our other article for information on pupil eligibility and funding rates for 2025-26.

You're not required to spend all your allocation in the financial year for which it's provided. Find out more about the conditions for spending the pupil premium.

Payment dates in 2025-26

Maintained schools You'll receive payments