How are we using our funding to successfully raise achievement?

What is it?

The Pupil Premium was introduced by the Coalition Government in April 2011 to provide additional support for looked after children and those from low income families. The extra funding is made available to schools to help them narrow the attainment gap that still exists between pupils from disadvantaged and more affluent backgrounds. Funding is based on children registered for a free school meal and children that have been in care for more than six months.

Why has it been introduced?

The Government believes that the Pupil Premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) and their wealthier peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most. Whilst schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit we are required to publish online information about how we have used the Premium.

For the financial year April 2021-22 the school  received £159,640 of pupil premium funding

For the financial year April 2022-23 the school received £179,007 of pupil premium funding

For the financial year April 2023-24 the school should receive £192,215 of pupil premium funding

The percentage of our pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is: 32.5%

The national percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is 31.9%.

Since pupil premium was introduced we have used the Pupil Premium in a wide variety of ways targeting closing the gap mainly in reading and maths. Schools also receive recovery premium which is also integrated into the Pupil Premium Strategy. During this academic year the school intend to use pupil premium in the following ways:

• KS2 Positive Play

• KS1 small group work in afternoons – Reading, Writing and Maths focus - response intervention or pre-teach

• LKS2 small group work in afternoons – Reading, Writing and Maths focus - response intervention or pre-teach

• UKS2 – targeted support in English and Maths lessons and small group work in afternoons - response intervention or pre-teach

• 1:1 and 1:3 provision

• Booster groups after school

• Daily readers - throughout school

• Read, Write Inc groups, classes and 121 tutoring / keep up and catch up

• Small class sizes throughout upper school

• KS1 and KS2 Nurture through Nature Groups
• Arts Award for pupils
• Building resilience
• Part time Senior Learning mentor and part-time Children's and Family Support Worker

The way the funds are used is adapted throughout the year according to analysis of data (6 weekly) and the impact of the provision.  Not all FSM children receive input at all times (as stated in our Pupil Premium Policy). The data table below shows the outcomes in 2019. The Pupil Premium Strategy Document highlights in more detail expenditure and impact.