Details

Data

Number of pupils in school

102

Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils

18.6%

Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers (3-year plans are recommended)

2022-2025

Date this statement was published

November 2022

Reviewed

September 2024

Next Review

September 2025

Statement authorised by

Board of Trustees

Pupil premium lead

Alison Blackwell

Governor / Trustee lead

Timothy Thomas

Details

Amount

Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year

£28,920

Pupil premium (and recovery premium*) funding carried forward from previous years (enter £0 if not applicable)

£0

Total budget for this academic year

£28,920

Graveney Primary School recognises that when making decisions about using Pupil Premium funding it is important. When preparing this plan, we consider the context of our school and the subsequent challenges it has faced. This has been done alongside research conducted by the EEF.

Our common barriers to learning for disadvantaged children include: lack of experiences and opportunities at home, weak language and communication skills, lack of resilience, greater emotional difficulties and attendance and punctuality issues.

There may also be complex family situations that prevent children from flourishing. The challenges are varied and there is no “one size fits all”. We will ensure that all teaching staff are involved in the analysis of data and identification of pupils, so that they are fully aware of strengths and weaknesses across the school.

Key Principles:

• We ensure that teaching and learning opportunities meet the needs of all the pupils.

• We ensure that appropriate provision is made for pupils who belong to vulnerable groups. This includes ensuring 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 Pupil Premium funding to support any pupil or groups of pupils the school has legitimately identified as being socially disadvantaged.

• Pupil Premium funding will be allocated following a needs analysis which will identify priority classes, groups or individuals. Limited funding and resources mean that not all children receiving free school meals will be in receipt of Pupil Premium interventions at one time.

Our Objectives:

● That all teaching staff are involved in the analysis of data and identification of pupils, so that they are fully aware of strengths and weaknesses across the school.

● To ensure all pupils causing concern are closing the gap between their peers and receiving quality first teaching.

● To ensure all disadvantaged pupils experience the opportunities within the full curriculum, including enrichment activities that will promote good levels of engagement and enjoyment of learning.

● Support the physical and mental health and wellbeing of disadvantaged pupils through specific interventions and a tailored curriculum that focusses on character education and development.

● To promote writing throughout the curriculum as a school priority.

● To promote early reading development for disadvantaged pupils and to ensure that pupils develop a love of reading, including providing them with a wide range of books to enjoy for pleasure.

● To support children’s language development through specific intervention programmes, external agency support and quality teaching.

● Engage parents as partners in their children’s learning and support with barriers such as attendance.

Challenge number

Detail of challenge

1

Children who are under-achieving from their starting points due to disrupted learning.  

2

Lower attainment on entry to the Early Years Foundation Stage, particularly in emotional regulation

3

Limited language and communication skills.

4

Limited wider experiences and skills

5

Low resilience skills which have led to lower levels of engagement.

Intended outcome

Success criteria

Progress in Reading, Writing and Maths

Pupils to make accelerated progress from their new baseline –

7 steps

Phonics

Year 2 and Year 1 pupils to achieve the national average expected standard in Phonics Screening Check

Attendance

Pupils have an average attendance of above 96%

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

Continue to train and develop staff to deliver Phonics and reading schemes across the school

EYFS and KS1 – Little Wandle

KS2 – Pathways to Read

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:

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/phonics 

Reading comprehension strategies focus on the learners’ understanding of written text. Pupils learn a range of techniques which enable them to comprehend the meaning of what they read. These can include: inferring meaning from context; summarising or identifying key points; using graphic or semantic organisers; developing questioning strategies; and monitoring their own comprehension and then identifying and resolving difficulties for themselves (see also metacognition and self-regulation).

Reading comprehension strategies | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

1, 2, 3,5

Enhancement of our maths teaching and curriculum planning in line with DfE and EEF guidance.

Develop calculation guidance linked to the White Rose scheme to be developed with all teaching staff and shared with parents to support pupils learning.

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:

Mathematics guidance: key stages 1 and 2 (covers years 1 to 6) (publishing.service.gov.uk)

1,2,5,

Disadvantaged pupils should experience opportunities within the full curriculum, including enrichment activities that promote good levels of engagement and enjoyment for learning, e.g. funded school trips, visitors, PE/sports, competitions, learning to play musical instruments.

Evidence shows there is intrinsic value in teaching pupils creative and performance skills and ensuring disadvantaged pupils access a rich and stimulating arts education.

Arts participation | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

Physical activity can impact on pupils' ability to make connections, but there are wider benefits from regular physical activity in terms of physical development, health and wellbeing as well as other potential benefits that have been reported, such as improved attendance.

Physical activity | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

1,2,3,4,5

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

Additional phonics sessions are targeted at disadvantaged pupils who require further phonics support. 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 | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

1,2,3,5

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

Improve levels of parental engagement, particularly for disadvantaged families, which encourages parents to support their children with reading or homework. Involvement of parents in children’s learning activities and more intensive programmes for families in crisis.

There is extensive evidence that increased parental engagement has a positive impact on an average of 4 months’ additional progress.

Parental engagement | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

2,3,4,5

These outcomes are for disadvantaged pupils in the 2023-24 academic year.

Pupils across the school, including those who are disadvantaged, have been tracked carefully across the school to ensure that their progress is carefully monitored.  4 Pupil premium pupils were identified and also received the National Tutoring Programme. 12 pupils in total were targeted with this support within our Year 5 and 6 cohorts. This was provided by Sherpa with most pupils accessing the sessions regularly .  For those pupils who were struggling to access the platform, our after-school provision was provided free of charge with staff available to support them logging in and using the school computers.  Attendance at these was not as good as the previous year, with some year 6 pupils.

Our phonics scores saw a decrease once again this year, falling to 68.8%. This was despite an investment in additional resources and staff training within the school to support early reading and phonics teaching. This cohort has both a high number of SEN/Pupil Premium and also pupils who joined us with English as an additional language this year.  Additional reading books and resources have been purchased this year to support pupils who have not achieved the phonics screening with interventions to catch up using the same scheme taught within key stage 1 and the EYFS.

Results for Maths across the school remain in line with the national average. Progress in Key Stage 2 showed only 57% of disadvantaged pupils achieving the expected standard and 14.2% achieving greater depth. Our small cohorts mean that one pupil represents 14.2% within our results for this group. This class also had an increase in mobility (44.4% overall mobility) in a cohort of 18 pupils.

Attainment in writing within Key Stage 2 saw an increase this year, with 57% of the Year 6 Pupil premium achieving the expected standard.  Reading also saw an increase, with 57% achieving the expected standard and 28.6% also achieving greater depth of the standard, showing the impact of the reading programme implemented this year.

Results for Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling saw an increase this year. However, this remains an area where the school remains below the national average. This continues to be addressed through the whole school improvement plan where writing and grammar continue to be a priority for improvement.

Pupil Premium funding continues to be used to fund our breakfast club for disadvantaged pupils and was also used to support these pupils to attend our whole-school educational visits, including a day out at Quex Park and also a visit to Leeds castle.   Both these experiences were ones which a significant number of pupils in the school had never experienced.

Additional activity

Our pupil premium strategy will be supplemented by additional activity that is not funded by pupil premium or recovery premium. That will include:

● embedding more effective practice around feedback. EEF evidence demonstrates this has significant benefits for pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils.

● offering a range of high-quality extracurricular activities to boost wellbeing, behaviour, attendance, and aspiration. Disadvantaged pupils will be encouraged and supported to participate.

Planning, implementation, and evaluation

In planning our new pupil premium strategy, we evaluated which activity undertaken has been effective and consider if these strategies should continue or be changed.

We triangulated evidence from multiple sources of data, including assessments, engagement in class book scrutiny, conversations with parents, pupils and teachers in order to identify the challenges faced by disadvantaged pupils.

We regularly keep updated with relevant training and research around improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, such as looking at a number of reports, studies and research papers about effective use of pupil premium, the impact of disadvantage on education outcomes and how to address challenges to learning presented by socio-economic disadvantage.

We will continue to use it through the implementation of activities. We have put a robust evaluation framework in place for the duration of our three-year approach and will adjust our plan over time to secure better outcomes for pupils.