Pupil Premium
Background
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 some of their peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most.
The Pupil Premium is allocated to schools for children of statutory school age from low income families who are known to be eligible for free school meals, to children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months and to children whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces. At present this also includes pupils who have been eligible for FSM at any point in the last six years (known as the Ever 6 FSM measure).
Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit. However they will be held accountable for how we have used the additional funding to support pupils from low-income families. From September 2012 schools are required to publish online information about how they have used the Premium to ensure that parents and others are made fully aware of the attainment of pupils covered by the Premium and the extra support that they receive.
Principles
• We ensure that teaching and learning opportunities meet the needs of all our pupils.
• We ensure that appropriate provision is made for pupils who belong to vulnerable groups and that the needs of socially disadvantaged pupils are adequately assessed and addressed.
• In making provision for socially disadvantaged pupils, we recognise that not all pupils who receive free school meals will be socially disadvantaged.
• We also recognise that not all pupils who are socially disadvantaged are registered or qualify for free school meals.
• We reserve the right to allocate the Pupil Premium funding to support any pupil or groups of pupils that school has legitimately identified as being socially disadvantaged.
• Pupil premium will be allocated following a needs analysis which will identify priority classes, groups or individuals.
Provision
The range of provision staff and governors may consider include:
• providing a high level of teaching support in classrooms mainly targeted at pupils needing help in the basic skills to ‘bridge the gap’ in attainment.
• Providing small group work with an experienced teacher or ATA focusing on overcoming gaps in learning.
• 1:1 support
• Additional teaching and learning opportunities provided through additional teacher support, trained Teaching Assistants or external agencies.
• Acquiring effective materials aimed at raising standards, particularly in reading and mathematics
All our work through pupil premium will be aimed at accelerating progress, moving children to at least age related expectations particularly in literacy and mathematics.