Pupil Premium: Allocation and Expenditure

How we report Pupil Premium Funding

Each year a Pupil Premium development plan will be written which will incorporate key objectives and actions for Pupil Premium students for the year.

When reporting about Pupil Premium funding we will include the nature of support and allocation, An overview of spending (Total PPG received/spent) A summary of the impact of PPG.

The Governing Body will consider the information provided and will ensure that there is an annual statement to the parents on the school website outlining how the Pupil Premium funding has been used to address the issue of closing the gap for pupils eligible for Pupil Premium and other vulnerable students. This task will be carried out in line with the requirements published by the Department of Education.

Pupil Premium Strategy Statement 2023/24

Background

The Pupil Premium is a government initiative that targets extra money at disadvantaged pupils. Research shows that disadvantaged pupils, because of a range of circumstances, underachieve compared to their peers. The Premium is provided to enable these pupils to be supported to reach their potential.

The Government provides Pupil Premium funding for each child who:

• Has been eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any time in the last 6 years;
• Has left local-authority care because of either adoption, a special guardianship order, a child arrangements order or a residence order; and/or
• Has been in local authority care for more than 1 day.

[1] The funding for these children is managed by the Virtual School Head in the local authority that looks after the child.

A student is eligible for FSM if they or their family is in receipt of government benefits such as income support.

At Grange we will direct our Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) toward interventions that benefit both those students who attract the funding and also additional students who are identified as vulnerable, but may not meet the above funding criteria.  This means that we will strive to close the gap regarding attainment for all students who are at risk of under-attaining.

Context

When making decisions about using Pupil Premium funding it is important to consider the context of the school and the subsequent challenges faced. Children who attract Pupil Premium funding can face barriers such as: less support at home; weaker language and communication skills; lack of confidence; more frequent behaviour difficulties; and attendance and punctuality issues. There may also be complex family situations that prevent children from flourishing. However, the challenges are varied and each child’s situation is, and should be treated as, unique.

Key Principles

By following the key principles below, we believe we can maximise the impact of our Pupil Premium spending.

Building Belief

We will provide a culture where:

•  Staff believe in ALL children;
• There are “no excuses” made for underperformance;
• Staff adopt a “solution-focused” approach to overcoming barriers;
• Staff support children to develop “growth” mindsets towards learning.

Researching effective strategies

We will ensure that:

• We use research (such as the Sutton Trust Toolkit) to support us in determining the strategies that will be most effective in raising pupil attainment; 
• All class teachers are involved in the analysis of data so that they are fully aware of strengths and weaknesses across the school and where strategies identified from research will be most effectively targeted.

Increasing learning time

We will maximise the time children have to achieve the desired outcomes through:

• improving attendance and punctuality;
• providing earlier intervention (in KS1 and EYFS);
• supporting children’s emotional needs.

Individualising support

We will ensure that the additional support we provide is effective by:

• looking at the individual needs of each child and identifying their specific barriers to learning;
• tailoring interventions to the needs of the child;
• matching the skills of the support staff to the interventions they provide;
• ensuring additional support staff and class teachers communicate regularly;
• working with other agencies to bring in additional expertise e.g. Beanstalk volunteer readers.

Monitoring and Evaluation

We will ensure that:

• A named Governor(s) will be the Pupil Premium champion(s) on the Governing body and report back on the progress of support mechanisms at each full Governing body meeting;
• A wide range of data is used to inform interventions – achievement data, pupils’ work, provision maps, observations, learning walks, case studies, and staff, parent and pupil voice;
• Pupil Premium assessment data is collected termly so that the impact of interventions can be monitored regularly;
• Assessments are closely moderated by the SLT to ensure they are accurate;
• Teaching staff attend and contribute to pupil progress meetings each term and the identified children are reviewed;
• Regular feedback about performance is given to children and parents;
• Interventions are adapted or changed if they are not working;
• A designated member of the SLT maintains an overview of Pupil Premium spending.