Urgent Calls for a New 16-19 Student Premium Funding

Published: 28 April 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

A powerful coalition of fourteen social mobility organisations is now urging the government to act. They are demanding a new student premium to support our most disadvantaged young people today. This vital financial support would target students who have just finished their difficult GCSE exams. Current state schools in England receive extra funding to help children from lower income backgrounds. This well-known pupil premium offers essential resources to those eligible for free school meals regularly. However, these dedicated campaigners argue that a funding cliff edge exists after those GCSE exams. This sudden gap leaves vulnerable students without necessary help during their final years of education. These years are crucial for long term development as young people transition toward adult life.

Pepe Di’Iasio serves as the general secretary for the Association of School and College Leaders. He notes that disadvantaged students do not stop needing extra support after their GCSEs end. The funding simply vanishes exactly when these young people require the most consistent academic guidance. A new sixteen to nineteen student premium would help schools and colleges retain their students. This support would keep young people fully engaged and help them achieve better academic results. It would focus specifically on helping them succeed in essential subjects like English and maths. Furthermore, this initiative would effectively reduce the risk of students becoming entirely without professional direction. Many young people currently fall through the cracks into long periods of harmful joblessness today.

The coalition estimates the total cost of this new student premium at four hundred million. They believe matching current pupil premium levels would require roughly four hundred thirty million pounds. This annual investment would be necessary starting from the academic period of twenty twenty seven. They are now calling on the Treasury to provide this funding as a national priority. This money is vital for the government’s wider mission to tackle the growing Neet crisis. According to recent data from the Office for National Statistics, these numbers are quite alarming. The number of people aged sixteen to twenty four lacking work has risen quite sharply. This figure reached nearly one million people in the final three months of last year.

This statistic represents nearly thirteen percent of the entire age group across our great nation. The coalition argues that the attainment levels of disadvantaged students remain behind their peers significantly. By the end of sixth form education, the gap is often far too wide indeed. Those students who do not pass English and maths are at the very highest risk. A dedicated student premium would enable colleges to provide much more specific and targeted interventions. This funding would support high quality tutoring, meaningful mentoring, and tailored academic support for all. It is specifically designed to help students secure their vital English and maths qualification requirements. This will open many doors for young people seeking employment or higher level training later.

Bill Watkin acts as the chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association today. He suggests that this targeted investment would make a real difference for many struggling families. It would help reduce the number of disadvantaged young people who disengage from education early. Sarah Waite is the founder of Get Further, a group supporting many struggling young students. She believes a student premium is long overdue and would play a very crucial role. This initiative would help many young people achieve genuine success throughout their entire working lives. This campaign also includes the support of Professor Lee Elliot Major from Exeter University. He is a leading expert in equitable education policies and social mobility across the country.

Professor Elliot Major describes the current situation as one of the great national injustices today. He finds it a scandal that support for under resourced backgrounds disappears so very quickly. These specific years profoundly shape the life chances of every young person in our society. The children’s commissioner for England, Rachel de Souza, has also offered her very strong support. She believes we must be serious about closing the disadvantage gap for every single child. We must ensure every child succeeds in their learning and their transition into stable adulthood. We must work much harder to ensure colleges have all the resources they truly need.

Other members of this influential coalition include the prestigious Association of Colleges and the Sutton Trust. The Fair Education Alliance and Impetus also support this vital call for urgent government action. The Brilliant Club and the Tutor Trust are also backing these necessary new financial proposals. Finally, the Villiers Park social mobility charity has joined the call for this new premium. The government is currently considering many different reforms regarding our current deprivation funding schemes. Ministers are concerned that current money is not well targeted at those facing disadvantage. A formal government consultation on these important funding issues is expected later this year.

Disadvantage funding is currently allocated based on the number of pupils receiving free school meals. These meals are generally available to children from families with very low annual incomes. A spokesperson for the Department for Education has issued a statement regarding these new proposals. They claim they are determined to break down barriers to opportunity for all our youth. They aim to reach the prime minister’s target for two thirds of all young people. They want more students to take gold standard apprenticeships or pursue high quality university training. They want this achieved by the time these young people reach the age of twenty five.

This year the government is providing over seven hundred million to support the most disadvantaged. This funding is part of a larger eight billion pound investment in further education. The spokesperson noted that they are also tackling issues before students reach college age levels. They are currently rolling out free breakfast clubs and expanding free school meal access programs. They are also working hard to lift the two child benefit cap for families today. Despite these efforts, campaigners insist that a specific post sixteen premium remains absolutely essential now. Without this focused financial intervention, too many young people will continue to struggle beyond school. The future of the next generation depends on how we choose to support them today.

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