Pupil Premium
About Pupil Premium
The Pupil Premium government initiative was introduced in April 2012. It was designed to give additional money to support schools in raising the attainment of children who receive or have ever received free school meals, children whose parents serve in the armed forces and children in local authority care. These groups of children have been identified nationally as achieving at a lower level than children from less disadvantaged backgrounds.
Pupil Premium at Prospect Vale
At Prospect Vale we are committed to ensuring all of our children make the best possible progress. We track the progress of every child on a regular basis and do all we can to make sure that each child reaches or exceeds their potential. We also have a duty to ensure no groups of children are disadvantaged due to their gender, ethnic origin, family income or background.
The pupil premium funding has assisted us in continuing and extending what we already do to monitor children’s progress and give additional support when and where required. Children are certainly not singled out or stigmatised for getting extra attention and we never label a child in front of the other children for receiving free school meals or being in care.
Children are tracked through data at the end of each key stage. Furthermore, termly meetings take place with teaching staff to discuss all children in each cohort. This allows an open and honest discussion about not only children's academic progress but also their personal, social and emotional development. Results from this monitoring allows ongoing adjustments of Pupil Premium spend to fit the children's needs
Identification of Pupils
We will ensure that:
- ALL teaching staff are involved in the analysis of data and identification of development needs of these children.
- ALL staff will be aware who our pupil premium/vulnerable children are.
- ALL pupil premium children benefit from the funding, not just those who are underperforming.
- Underachievement at all levels is targeted (not just lower attaining pupils.)
- Children’s individual needs are considered carefully so that we provide support for those children who could be doing “even better if…..”
Pupil Premium Allocations
The money will be used to provide the following:
- A high level of investment in Learning Support Assistants (LSA) in classes to ensure children receive small group differentiated support in all subject areas.
- One to one and small group provision to support the social and emotional development of pupils experiencing barriers to their learning, which can range from low self-esteem, prevention of bullying, poor attendance, poor behaviour and poor attitudes to learning.
- Additional reading, writing, phonics, PSHE interventions delivered to clearly identified focused groups of children throughout the school.
- Specific maths intervention programmes.
- Motor Skills.
- Transition Support
- Access to a planned programme of educational visits and visitors throughout school, in order to support, enhance and develop learning across the curriculum and promote life experiences.
- Language support assistants to meet the needs of those children who have difficulty in accessing the curriculum due to their language difficulties.
- Regular CPD to support staff in teaching basic skills within a broad and rich curriculum so that they engage and meet the needs of all learners, e.g. enhancements to the Computing Curriculum.
- Support with educational visits and residential to ensure no child ‘misses out’, for example London, Y6 Robinwood Residential Trip.
- Access to a wide variety of in school and after school clubs where these children are targeted specifically.
- Wider exposure to the arts through music investment, i.e. Brass Tuition in Year 5, bought in school artist
- Enhanced roles in the school such as Ambassadors, Eco Council, School Council, Sports Leaders to improve areas such as self-confidence, self-esteem, team work, etc.
- Boosters in school time to support and extend their high level achievement in many different academic areas, e.g. SATS club, drama club, art club, maths.
- External agency support from behaviour/ medical experts who provide ideas to assist us all collectively to maximise access to a broad balanced curriculum.
- Significant investment in reading books, mobile technology (I-PADS), Numicon so we are supporting learning in many different and varied ways to enhance the learning styles of our children.
- Art Therapy workshops run by qualified internal staff to support specific needs.
Impact of Initiatives
Our pupil premium money has been used to provide a range of support for our children and these interventions have had a significant impact on children’s attainment. However, we are just as proud of the less easily 'measurable' improvements in our wonderful children, such as; improved self confidence; team work; playing maturely and sensibly; confidence to talk to others; self belief; honesty; trust.
We are delighted with our KS2 results which show that the school is maintaining a strong trend. The data reflects the hard work of staff, excellent partnership working with parents and a determination to ensure that EVERY child succeeds.
‘The school’s current data show little or no gaps in the attainment of this group and others in the school. This is due to the very effective use of pupil premium monies which the school has used to deliver extra support to boost pupils’ achievement through one-to-one and small group sessions.’ OFSTED REPORT- November 2013.