Pupil Premium

Pupil Premium is designed to help disadvantaged pupils of all abilities perform better and close the gap between them and their peers.

Research clearly shows established links between disadvantage and educational underachievement, with the grant enabling schools to support these children in overcoming any barriers they may have that prevents them from successfully engaging with their education. The Pupil Premium is provided to schools in order to support these children to reach their full potential by accelerating their progress and providing them with experiences which may not normally be available to them. Pupil Premium also applies to those children whose parents are currently serving in the Armed Forces and those who are or have been in the Care of the Local Authority (CLA). Our Pupil Premium Policy provides further information.

Pupil Premium Intent

At St. Andrew’s Primary School, we have the highest aspirations and ambitions for our children and we resolutely believe that no child should be left behind. We are determined to ensure that our children are given every chance to realise their full potential. Pupil Premium funding represents a proportion of our budget and in our policy we aim to outline how we will ensure it is spent to maximum effect.

The government believes that the Pupil Premium funding, which is in addition to main school budget allocation, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their peers. The aim is to ensure that this funding tackles disadvantage and reaches the pupils who need it most. Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for children within their responsibility.

Pupil Premium Implementation

We personalise the learning and support that we offer for children who are eligible for Pupil Premium Funding. We recognise that it is not just academic barriers that children have to learning. Our strategy for improvement looks at the academic, engagement and enrichment barriers to learning and how we aim to overcome these for children who qualify for Pupil Premium funding. Some of the ways we aim to spend the funding include:

A fully inclusive curriculum – intent, implementation, impact
Focusing on low stakes quizzes to support memory and reduce stress
A focus on Quality First Teaching and adapting the curriculum for those who need it
A focus on reading across the school to support everyone to find a love of books
A Well-being leader to raise awareness of well-being across the school
Specific, focussed interventions to support those who need extra support
A staff that champions all children
Enrichment opportunities- every class does a show/performance every year, clubs including sport, music, drama, school trips and residentials

Pupil Premium Impact

Part of the review process will include looking at internal data and tracking the progress of children’s Reading, Writing and Maths. All interventions are tracked and the impact is analysed. Where there is no quantitative data to measure impact, One Page Profiles and other qualitative recording allow children to reflect on how the school meets their needs and the impact engagement/enrichment opportunities have had on them. This allows us to ensure that we are spending money in areas that have significant impact on the child.

We review Pupil Premium strategy alongside the SDP with alongside teachers and Governors. Our policy forms part of our policy cycle and will be next reviewed during the Autumn Term.

Eligibility Criteria

Parents/guardians in England do not have to pay for school meals if they receive any of the following:

Income Support
Income-Based Jobseeker's Allowance
Income related Employment and Support Allowance
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £16,190
Working Tax Credit 'run-on' - the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Guarantee element of State Pension Credit

Pupil Premium is an important payment for schools and a really good opportunity for eligible parents to get even more support for their children in schools.

If you have any questions or would like to know more about Pupil Premium funding and how it is being used to benefit your child, please speak to the headteacher.

If you think your child may possibly be eligible for free school meals, even if you don't want your child to eat school meals, please call into the office to collect a claim form. Every child who is eligible generates valuable income for the school.

Pupil Premium Strategy Statement 2021-24 (including Impact Report 22/23)