Disadvantaged Pupil Strategy

St. Mary’s opened in 1865 to serve the most disadvantaged communities of Chesterfield. We seek to meet the individual needs of every child in order for them to fully develop their God-given potential and to remove any barriers which may prevent them reaching their potential. Disadvantaged students remain at the heart of everything we do, and all staff are committed to supporting these students throughout their time at St. Mary’s.

From September 2026, the Government introduced changes to the Free School Meals (FSM) eligibility criteria. Under the new national eligibility rules, all families receiving Universal Credit will qualify for free school meals.

As a result, there will be two categories of benefit-related Free School Meals:

• Targeted Free School Meals - for families in receipt of Universal Credit and have an annual income of £7,400 or less. Pupils in this category will be eligible for Pupil Premium funding and access to any additional financial support offered by the school.
• Expanded Free School Meals (meals only) - for families in receipt of Universal Credit and do not meet the threshold for Targeted FSM (i.e annual household income is above £7,400). 

Financial Support

Students in receipt of Targeted Free School Meals receive comprehensive financial support to allow them take part in every aspect of school life. We firmly believe students from low-income families should be able to access every opportunity offered by the school.

The support that Targeted Free School Meals students receive includes:

• A voucher contribution towards uniform for students starting in Year 7.

• One slice of toast at breakfast and breaktime. 

• A meal deal at lunchtime that includes a main meal, home bake and a plain bottle of water.

• Free school buses provided by Derbyshire County Council, if St. Mary’s is the closest Catholic secondary.

• Discounted instrumental lessons through the Derbyshire Music Partnership and school trips.

Please note that students eligible for Expanded Free School Meals are entitled to meals only.
 

Supporting the Progress of Disadvantaged Students

Research shows that students from disadvantaged backgrounds from across the country are more likely to underachieve. We are determined that our disadvantaged students receive everything they need to be successful at school. Every teacher is a teacher of disadvantaged pupils and is responsible for the progress of Pupil Premium students in their care.

To support our belief that quality-first teaching benefits the most disadvantaged learners, our staff are given significant periods of undirected time to allow for inclusive planning, assessment and positively discriminated feedback to Pupil Premium students.

Literacy is a whole-school focus, and each subject department is implementing strategies to support students who struggle with reading, writing and oracy, enabling them to achieve their best.