Pupil Premium

Overview

The school receives money from the government, called Pupil Premium, for each child who is eligible for free school meals, is in care or whose parents are in the Armed Services.

Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011 and is paid by means of a specific grant based on school census figures for pupils registered as eligible for FSM in Reception to Year 11. A premium has also been introduced for children whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces. This service premium is designed to address the emotional and social well-being of these pupils.

Pupil Premium is additional to main school funding and it is used to address any underlying inequalities between children who are eligible by ensuring that funding reaches the pupils who need it most.

Objectives

The Pupil Premium will be used to provide additional educational support to improve the progress and to raise the standard of achievement for eligible pupils
The funding will be used to narrow and close the gap between the achievement of eligible pupils and their peers.

Main barriers to learning that some disadvantaged children may face in our school

emotional factors
personal issues
social factors eg inadequate housing
low self-esteem
lack of motivation
lack of home inspiration and low parental expectation or high expectation but few resources to enable children to achieve their potential
lack of opportunities to participate in enrichment activities eg trips to the theatre
possibility of social exclusion where children are not participating in activities outside school and then are unable to participate in conversation about them
low expectations in children with regards to their own abilities and potential;

Strategies

Pupil Premium will be clearly identifiable within the budget
The Headteacher in consultation with the governors and staff, will decide how the Pupil Premium is spent for the benefit of eligible pupils
The school will assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils.
The school will be accountable for how it has used the additional funding to support the achievement of those pupils eligible for Pupil Premium and the Headteacher will report to the governing body and parents on how effective the intervention has been in achieving its aims.
We will publish information on our website about how we have used the funding.
We will seek to further develop strategies and interventions which can improve the progress and attainment of these pupils and track the impact of the strategies to ensure that we can show the value that has been added to the education of the eligible children.
We will monitor, evaluate and review the success of the impact of the pupil premium funding.

Examples of how Pupil Premium Funding is used

Each year, we consider the needs of the children for which we receive Pupil Premium and look at how we can best support their needs. Pupil Premium funding has been used to pay for one-to-one, paired and group reading and for literacy and numeracy sessions where extension or support is needed e.g. intervention and catch up sessions. It has also been used to develop social skills and to meet children's emotional needs and personal development, for example, through counselling and Thrive work. In addition, some money is set aside for contributing to residential visits and educational visits of those children for whom we receive Pupil Premium and who may not otherwise be able to participate. Depending on need, the money has also been used to arrange cultural events and workshops to give children a wider range of experiences that have contributed to their cultural and spiritual development.

Every year we have found that this additional intervention has not only had a positive impact on pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics, but has also had an impact on their emotional, spiritual and cultural development, thus improving their future life-chances.

Pupil Premium Strategy Reviews

These take place at the end of each term so that any changes can be made as necessary.