This statement details our school’s use of pupil premium and recovery premium for the funding to help improve the attainment of our disadvantaged pupils.
It outlines our pupil premium strategy, how we intend to spend the funding in this academic year and the effect that last year’s spending of pupil premium had within our school.
The total budgeted cost is £34,180
School overview
School name
High Halstow Primary Academy
Number of pupils in school
210
Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils
18 / 210 = 9%
as of 04/09/23
Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers (3 year plans are recommended)
2023-24
Date this statement was published
September 2023
Date on which it will be reviewed
July 2024
Statement authorised by
Gemma Stangroom
Pupil premium lead
Gemma Stangroom
Governor / Trustee lead
Kate Robinson (Chair)
Funding overview
Detail
Amount
Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year
£1,455 per child. 18 pupils currently disadvantaged (September 2023)
PP for April 23 – April 24 is £30,555 and was based on the October 2022 Census (21 pupils)
Recovery premium funding allocation this academic year
£3,625
Pupil premium funding carried forward from previous years (enter £0 if not applicable)
£0
Total budget for this academic year
If your school is an academy in a trust that pools this funding, state the amount available to your school this academic year
£34,180
part a: pupil premium strategy plan
Statement of intent
Our intention is that all pupils, irrespective of their background or the challenges they face, make good progress and achieve high attainment across all subject areas. The focus of our pupil premium strategy is to support disadvantaged pupils to achieve that goal, including progress for those who are already high attainers.
We will consider the challenges faced by vulnerable pupils, such as those who have a social worker and young carers. The activity we have outlined in this statement is also intended to support their needs, regardless of whether they are disadvantaged or not.
High-quality teaching is integral to our approach, with a focus on areas in which disadvantaged pupils require the most support. This is proven to have the greatest impact on closing the disadvantage attainment gap and at the same time will benefit the non-disadvantaged pupils in our school. Implicit in the intended outcomes detailed below, is the intention that non-disadvantaged pupils’ attainment will be sustained and improved alongside progress for their disadvantaged peers.
Our strategy is also integral to wider school plans for education recovery, notably in its targeted support through School Led Tutoring for pupils whose education has been worst affected, including non-disadvantaged pupils.
Our approach will be responsive to common challenges and individual needs, not assumptions about the impact of disadvantage. The approaches we have adopted complement each other to help pupils excel. To ensure they are effective we will:
- ensure disadvantaged pupils are challenged in the work that they’re set
- act early to intervene at the point need is identified
- adopt a whole school approach in which all staff take responsibility for disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes and raise expectations of what they can achieve
Challenges
This details the key challenges to achievement that we have identified among our disadvantaged pupils.
Challenge number
Detail of challenge
1
A review of the curriculum has highlighted opportunities to further develop high quality teaching, assessment and resourcing across the wider curriculum which responds to the needs of all pupils.
2
Assessments, observations, and discussions with pupils suggest disadvantaged pupils generally have greater difficulties with phonics than their peers. This negatively impacts their development as readers. It is important that all staff have received training to deliver effective phonics lessons and interventions including Toe by Toe to support the progress of pupils. Additionally, staff will continue to embed a trusted spelling scheme (Jane Considine) to improve pupil spelling across the academy.
3
It is apparent that disadvantaged pupils generally require additional support to produce high quality writing outcomes. Pupils require access to engaging quality texts and rich experiences to support pupils to be engaged by writing.
4
Our assessments and observations have suggested that disadvantaged pupils can require additional support to retain basic maths skills to be able to apply them in different contexts. Therefore, it is important to embed the teaching of basic maths skills through whole class maths and intervention groups to support pupil progress. Maths Champion, TTRS and Numbots will all support progress.
5
Disadvantaged pupils’ access to clubs can be lower due to financial reasons which could be impacting disadvantaged pupils’ social and emotional development.
6
Our attendance data indicates that attendance among disadvantaged pupils has been 3.6% lower than the whole school in 2022-23. Attendance for the whole school was 94.4% and for disadvantaged pupils it was 90.8%.
40.9% of disadvantaged pupils have been ‘persistently absent’ compared to 17.2% of the whole school during that period. Our assessments and observations indicate that absenteeism could be negatively impacting disadvantaged pupils’ progress.
Intended outcomes
This explains the outcomes we are aiming for by the end of our current strategy plan, and how we will measure whether they have been achieved.
Intended Outcome
Success Criteria
- High quality outcomes across all curriculum areas
Observations, book looks, pupils conferences and data indicate improved outcomes amongst disadvantaged pupils.
Pupils will be able to talk about their learning with increased confidence and will be able to recall prior learning and build on it.
2. Improved phonic and spelling outcomes among disadvantaged pupils
Assessment data for phonics and spelling will demonstrate outcomes at least in line with non-disadvantaged pupils.
3. Improved writing outcomes among disadvantaged pupils
Assessment data for writing will demonstrate outcomes at least in line with non-disadvantaged pupils.
4. Improved arithmetic scores for disadvantaged pupils as well as maths outcomes at the end of KS2
Data collated from arithmetic assessments will show outcomes at least in line with non-disadvantaged pupils.
Maths outcomes for the end of KS2 will show outcomes at least in line with non-disadvantaged pupils.
5. To achieve and sustain improved wellbeing for all pupils in our school, particularly our disadvantaged pupils.
Sustained high levels of wellbeing from demonstrated by:
- qualitative data from pupil voice, pupil and parent surveys and teacher observations
- an increase in participation in enrichment activities, particularly among disadvantaged pupils
6. To achieve and sustain improved attendance for all pupils, particularly our disadvantaged pupils.
Sustained high attendance demonstrated by:
- the overall absence rate for all pupils being no more than 3.5%,
- the percentage of all pupils who are persistently absent being below 15% and the figure among disadvantaged pupils being no more than 2% lower than their peers.
Activity in this academic year
This details how we intend to spend our pupil premium (and recovery premium funding) this academic year to address the challenges listed above.
Teaching (for example, CPD, recruitment and retention)
Budgeted cost: £2,000
Activity
Evidence that supports this approach
Challenge number(s) addressed
To provide CPD for staff to ensure the curriculum meets the needs of all pupils.
To ensure progression of skills and resources required support all pupils to access the curriculum and be engaged.
To ensure monitoring of the curriculum is robust and supports every child to progress.
Quality CPD has a strong evidence base for positive impact on teaching and learning.
1
Use of Phonics International (DfE validated Systematic Synthetic Phonics programme) and additional resources to secure stronger phonics teaching for all pupils.
Use of a recommended spelling programme to secure stronger spelling outcomes for all pupils.
Phonics approaches have a strong evidence base that indicates a positive impact on the accuracy of word reading (though not necessarily comprehension), particularly for disadvantaged pupils:
Phonics | Toolkit Strand | Education Endowment Foundation | EEF
2
Invest in high quality texts and visits/visitors to engage pupils in their writing.
If pupils recognise how to write in a specific style through sharing of high-quality texts and feel engaged to write, outcomes can be increased.
3
Enhancement of our maths teaching and curriculum planning in line with DfE and EEF guidance.
We will fund teacher release time to embed key elements of guidance in school and to access Maths Hub resources and CPD (including Teaching for Mastery training).
The DfE non-statutory guidance has been produced in conjunction with the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, drawing on evidence-based approaches:
Maths_guidance_KS_1_and_2.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)
The EEF guidance is based on a range of the best available evidence:
Improving Mathematics in Key Stages 2 and 3
4
Targeted academic support (for example, tutoring, one-to-one support structured interventions)
Budgeted cost: £23,056
Activity
Evidence that supports this approach
Challenge number(s) addressed
Additional phonics sessions targeted at disadvantaged pupils who require further phonics support.
For pupils who need different support specific interventions such as Beat Dyslexia and Toe by Toe will be implemented.
Phonics approaches have a strong evidence base indicating a positive impact on pupils, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds. Targeted phonics interventions have been shown to be more effective when delivered as regular sessions over a period up to 12 weeks:
Phonics | Toolkit Strand | Education Endowment Foundation | EEF
2
Engaging with the National Tutoring Programme to provide school-led tutoring for pupils whose education has been most impacted by the pandemic. A significant proportion of the pupils who receive tutoring will be disadvantaged, including those who are high attainers.
Tuition targeted at specific needs and knowledge gaps can be an effective method to support low attaining pupils or those falling behind, both one-to-one:
One to one tuition | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)
And in small groups:
Small group tuition | Toolkit Strand | Education Endowment Foundation | EEF
3, 4
Wider strategies (for example, related to attendance, behaviour, wellbeing)
Budgeted cost: £10,256
Activity
Evidence that supports this approach
Challenge number(s) addressed
To read regularly with a reading volunteer / Beanstalk reading programme (£650)
To embed use of reading based interventions to increase fluency in reading and reading for pleasure whilst interacting with a good role model regularly.
2, 5
To offer pupils the opportunity to work with a counsellor or The Dog Mentor to support them socially and emotionally. (£5400)
Targeted support for individuals can support their well-being and mental health.
5
Whole staff training on behaviour management approaches with the aim of further embedding our school values and further improving behaviour across school.
Both targeted interventions and universal approaches can have positive overall effects:
Behaviour interventions | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)
5
To provide extracurricular opportunities for disadvantaged pupils (Approximately £30 x 18=£540)
Extra-curricular opportunities will provide new opportunities for pupils which will support their wellbeing.
5
Embedding principles of good practice set out in the DfE’s Improving School Attendance advice.
This will involve training and release time for staff to develop and implement new procedures and appointing attendance/support officers to improve attendance.
Additionally, funding Breakfast Club places will encourage attendance and punctuality.
Proportion of office admin staff costs £2000
Breakfast Club places (£468 per child for a year x 2=£936)
The DfE guidance has been informed by engagement with schools that have significantly reduced levels of absence and persistent absence.
6
Contingency fund for acute issues. (£1000) E.G. Uniform
Based on our experiences and those of similar schools to ours, we have identified a need to set a small amount of funding aside to respond quickly to needs that have not yet been identified.
Total budgeted cost: £34,312
part b: review of outcomes in the previous academic year
pupil premium strategy outcomes
This details the impact that our pupil premium activity had on pupils in the 2021 to 2022 academic year. Additional details can be seen in the original 2021-22 PPG Statement.
2022-23 Aims and Outcomes
Aim
Outcome
High quality outcomes across all curriculum areas
Achieved. All pupils are challenged and supported to achieve high quality outcomes.
Improved phonic and spelling outcomes among disadvantaged pupils.
Partially achieved. 90% of Year 1 achieved the phonics threshold of 32. Of the 3 disadvantaged pupils 67% achieved the threshold.
Improved writing outcomes among disadvantaged pupils
Achieved. 3 / 4 disadvantaged pupils achieved the expected standard for writing at the end of KS2 which was above national expected average of 71%
Improved arithmetic scores for disadvantaged pupils as well as maths outcomes at the end of KS2.
Achieved. End of KS2 maths outcomes were higher for disadvantaged pupils (80% 4 /5 pupils) compared to the whole cohort (70%)
To achieve and sustain improved wellbeing for all pupils in our school, particularly our disadvantaged pupils.
Achieved. Introduction of counsellor, development of The Dog Mentor, take up of free club places supported wellbeing.
To achieve and sustain improved attendance for all pupils, particularly our disadvantaged pupils.
Percentage of persistent absenteeism reduced amongst disadvantaged pupils from the year before although it was still too high.