Pupil Premium

 What is Pupil Premium?

In 2011-2012 the Government launched Pupil Premium funding to support children who may be vulnerable to under-achievement. This funding is allocated to schools based on the numbers of pupils in the school who are eligible for Free School Meals (FSM), children in care (CIC) and the children of members of the armed forces.

 From 2012-2013, it was expanded to include all children who were been eligible for FSM or LAC within the last 6 years. (ever 6) This money is allocated to initiatives to ensure pupils reach their full potential, both academically and socially.

We receive the equivalent of £1345 for every child who is currently in receipt of Free School Meals or has been eligible for Free School Meals within the past 6 years. (ever 6)

We also receive £2345 for children who are (or who have been) in the care of the local authority.

As a school, we have a responsibility to report on the progress of children receiving pupil premium; demonstrate how we are using the Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) and the impact that it is having on children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
 

Our Aim

To ensure that children from disadvantaged backgrounds (FSM/CIC) are able to make the same progress as, or better progress, than their peers.
 

Pupil Premium Strategy

Our pupil premium strategy outlines how we intend to use pupil premium funding to improve attainment and opportunities for disadvantaged children.

Click here to see our 3 year pupil premium/catch up funding strategy document for 2020 - 23

Click here to see our pupil premium strategy for 2018/19 for more detailed information. 

(Click here for the strategy document for 2017/18)

How much Pupil Premium money do we get?

In the academic year 2020/21 the school will be allocated £95,495 Pupil Premium Funding.

Principles

• At Hextable Primary School, we organise teaching and learning in order to best meet the needs of all our children.
• We arrange appropriate provision for children from vulnerable groups and for those who may be socially disadvantaged, to ensure that their needs are accurately assessed and met.
• We aim to support children and families with the social, emotional and behavioural aspects of learning.
   

Planned Provision - Diminishing the Difference

Below are details of how we are planning to spend the Pupil Premium this year. These decisions are driven by the needs of the children in the school. We have recognised that there is a gap in the achievement of disadvantaged children compared to their peers nationally in reading and maths in KS1 and in writing in KS2. The provision we plan to implement reflects this:

•  Staff training in leading and delivering the Recovery Curriculum to ensure our learners are emotionally prepared to return to school. See here our plans for the Recovery Curriculum
• Staff training in the following areas to ensure that Quality First teaching remains a priority for all children, including those in receipt of pupil premium: phonics, delivery of 'No Nonsense Spelling' scheme, Maths Mastery.
• Use of qualified tutor to work 1:1 and in small groups with disadvantaged and other children in Key Stage 2 to deliver maths and spelling interventions with a proven known evidence base.
• HLTA to deliver Fresh Start literacy intervention in small groups of disadvantaged and other children in Year 5 and 6.
• Support staff training in phonics,  No Nonsense Spelling,use of manipulatives in Maths, Maths Fluency and Mastery.
• Deployment of support staff to address need in KS1.
• Family Liaison officer to provide regular support to children and their families to support emotional wellbeing, self esteem,attitudes to learning and attendance.
• Nurture groups, including Lunchbunch for both junior and infant children to teach social skills and promote self esteem and wellbeing.
• Adult led activities in the playground to promote wellbeing and a sense of achievement.
• Speech and Language HLTA to monitor and deliver Speech and Language Programmes with a focus on Early Years and KS1.
• Provide opportunities for enrichment to ensure all children are able to experience a range of cultural experiences; day and residential trips, theatre groups, curriculum based workshops.
• Pupil Premium Champion to track and monitor progress and attainment of disadvantaged children to identify gaps in learning.
• Assessment leader to evaluate the impact of interventions.
• Opportunities to attend developmental programmes for the more able in Maths and English.
• Use additional staff to pre-teach specific topics and to support children to act upon developmental feedback.
• To fund places at Breakfast Club/After School Club to improve attendance and give opportunities for extra curricular activities.
• To provide opportunites for, and actively encourage attendance at a range of extra curricular activities -eg Home Learning Club, Sports, Music Clubs etc.

 Impact Data

Free School Meals and Pupil Premium

 Parents can check eligibility for free school meals through Kent County Council’s ‘Education and Children’ service http://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children and, if eligible,  gain welcome additional funding for their child’s school, known as ‘Pupil Premium’. If eligible, you are not obliged to accept the free school meals for your child if you wish to make other arrangements, but we do want to encourage applications as the additional funding would still benefit your child’s educational provision at the school.

What the service does for parents:

After entering essential details into the website, the online application process links to the Department for Education system for checking eligibility and gives an immediate ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response, and will notify the school.

This system is being provided to encourage parents to apply and take advantage of free school meals while at the same time increasing the benefit to schools from Pupil Premium funding, a substantial amount of which does not reach schools because not all parents who are eligible apply for free meals for their child.
 

As the government has now introduced free school meals for all children in Key Stage 1, it is more important than ever for schools to know the number of pupils for whom they can claim Pupil Premium funding. Many children are missing out on this crucial funding. These funds enable schools to take on additional staff and invest in additional equipment, resources and activities to the benefit all children.                                                                                                                                               (Please note: you are not obliged to take up the free school meals, however you can still claim the funding!)

  To check if your child is eligible for Pupil Premium, please visit -

  http://www.kent.gov.uk/education-and-children
 

  For more information on Pupil Premium, please contact the school office or Sue Hammond at hammond@hextable-primary.kent.sch.uk