Financial Support

The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) is a UK-based charity dedicated to improving educational outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. It conducts research and provides evidence-based resources to help schools close the attainment gap.

We align our approach with recommendations from the EEF, which promotes research-backed strategies proven to raise attainment. These strategies benefit not only disadvantaged pupils but also enhance learning for all students, including:

• High-quality feedback
• Metacognition and self-regulation
• Reading comprehension programmes
• Mastery learning
• Small group tuition
• Peer tutoring

Pupil Premium funding is a government initiative that allocates additional financial support to schools for each student eligible for free school meals (FSM), as well as other disadvantaged groups. This funding is intended to help schools implement targeted interventions and support strategies that boost academic achievement.

Students generate Pupil Premium funding if they meet any of the following criteria in England:

• Currently eligible for Free School Meals (FSM)
• Eligible for FSM at any point in the past 6 years
• Looked-after children (in care for 1 day or more)
• Children who have been looked after for 6 months or longer
• Children who are adopted
• Children who have left care under a Special Guardianship Order or a Residence Order

Free school meals themselves are a key indicator of economic disadvantage and play a vital role in ensuring children have access to nutritious food, which supports both wellbeing and learning.

We welcome applications from; students eligible for Free School Meals, Families in receipt of Working Tax Credit, Families facing exceptional short-term financial hardship.

To apply please completed the form and send to the School Finance Office, along with the required paperwork.

• Evidence of Working Tax Credit (if applicable), or
• A letter explaining the circumstances of short-term financial hardship

You will be notified of the outcome by email or letter.

Apply for financial support

For: Lower School

A prize awarded for an outstanding contribution in the field of Citizenship, donated by the family of the popular and well-respected former Mayor of Gillingham. The prize is given to a lower school student at Founders Day and consists of £75 and an additional £25 to be donated to a charity nominated by the prize winner, together with a shield engraved with the names of previous winners.

For: All Years

The Fletcher Enterprise Award was set up forty years ago in memory of Yvonne Fletcher. Yvonne was a pupil of Gillingham School from 1969 to 1976, when she left, she followed her childhood dream of becoming a Police Officer. In 1984 whilst on duty with the Metropolitan Police and deployed outside the Libyan Embassy in London following disturbances, she was fatally wounded by a single gunshot fired from the Embassy. It was an event that had worldwide ramifications and remains largely unresolved today. A criminal case in 2017 was blocked on the grounds of ‘national security’ but a civil case heard in the High Court in 2021 found a Libyan man jointly liable for the shooting.

If you need some money to fulfil a worthy ambition, start a project, put a sound idea into practice or expand an enterprising hobby, please apply.

Deadline: Friday 27^th March 2026

All applicants informed at the beginning of the Summer Term. If your application is short-listed, you may be asked to make a short presentation to the panel. Good luck!

Download the application form