Pupil Equity Funding (PEF) is money given to Cathedral Primary School by the Scottish Government each year to help us provide the best possible opportunities for our young learners. In particular, it is there to help the school support children who experience barriers to learning and who might be falling behind or not getting the same chances in their education because their family is experiencing poverty or other financial difficulties.
The above picture is a helpful way to explain the purpose of Pupil Equity Funding.
Equality = ‘sameness’ by giving everyone the same thing. However, it can only work if everyone starts from exactly the same place. In the picture above, for example, equality could only work if each child was exactly the same height.
Equity = ‘fairness’ by making sure people get access to the same opportunities. Sometimes our differences, backgrounds or experiences can create barriers to us reaching our full potential. Pupil Equity Funding aims to ensure each and every Cathedral pupil has access to the right support, resources and wider experiences they need to flourish in their learning and reach their full potential.
There is quite a lot of flexibility in how schools can use their Pupil Equity Fund allocation, as long as it is used in ways which have been proven to help improve outcomes for children and young people who are affected by poverty. Please click on the link below to access a poster showing how Cathedral Primary has used its Pupil Equity Fund allocation in recent years and the difference this has made to our learners.
You can also see how Pupil Equity Funding has been integrated into our various Annual Improvement Plans by clicking on the link below:
