Pupil Premium 2013/14

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Published: Monday, 01 September 2014 00:00

The Pupil Premium is additional money that is allocated to schools. All schools have the freedom to spend the pupil premium, which is additional to the underlying schools’ budget, in a way they think will best support the raising of attainment for their most vulnerable students.

The aim of the Pupil Premium is to support students who are statistically most likely to underachieve, the focus is particularly on students who:

• are known to have been eligible for free school meals at any time in the previous six years
• have been looked after by the Local Authority continuously for at least six months
• have parents in the armed services

From April 2014, schools in England can receive the pupil premium for children adopted from care or who left care under a Special Guardianship Order (SGO) on or after 30 December 2005. Schools can also claim the pupil premium for children who left care under a residence Order (RO) on or after 14 October 1991. To claim the pupil premium for those adopted children, and those who are subject to a SGO and RO, parents will need to inform the school.

At St Thomas More High School, we encourage all parents and carers to ensure that staff at our school know whether their child is entitled to Free School Meals or has a parent who is a member of the armed services. We take very seriously the need to support all students to achieve well and have developed a range of strategies to ensure our students succeed. The table shows the amount of Pupil Premium Grant (PPG) received by St Thomas More High School over the last three years.

During 2013-2014, the PPG was used in the following ways to support vulnerable students with some idea of the impact seen:

• Increased number of subject specific study skills workshops including English and Maths to help support parents at home with extended learning
• Our best teachers in English and Maths deployed to support small group teaching of students, including those looked after by the Local Authority
• Revision sessions run for core subjects to boost attainment during holidays and weekends

IMPACT         

52% of students in receipt of PPG funding achieved GCSE A* - C in English and Maths compared to 61% non-PPG students. This is a gap of 9% which has closed from a gap of 28% 2013-2014.

30% of students in receipt of PPG funding achieved better than expected levels of progress in English at the end of KS4 compared to 25% of non-PPG students.

26% of students in receipt of PPG funding achieved better than expected levels of progress in Maths at the end of KS4 compared to 31% of non-PPG students.

• Whole school improvement in teaching and learning with a specific long term training focus on assessment and feedback in response to parent and student feedback. Additional whole school responsibility for Teaching and Learning Leader to act as a coach and co-ordinate teachers CPD programme

IMPACT

100% staff completed training on differentiation. Development of a coaching programme which eradicates teaching that is less than good.           

FTE have fallen for all groups including PPG students. Students in receipt of PPG funding account for only 28% of all days FTE last year.

• Be The Best You Can Be – a 2012 Legacy project aimed at Year 8 and Aspirational projects – developing Careers programme KS3 – KS5

IMPACT

Improved awareness of students who attract the PPG funding to engage and aspire to further education through use of, for example, Barclays LifeSkills online programme and Fast Tomato with Year 9, Career Academy developing into second year for Year 12 students and continuation of the Be The Best You Can Be project for Year 8 into 2014/5.

• An increased team of Learning Support Assistants, assigned to Pupil Support Hubs, to support pupils of a specific year group across a range of subjects

IMPACT

Improved monitoring and use of data by all staff to ensure progress is made. The significant majority of students who attract Pupil Premium funding in Key Stage 3 have met their target levels and performed in line with their peers.

• Establishing the Progress Curriculum Pathway at KS4 and development of the continuation of this pathway into KS3 and KS5

IMPACT

Increased number of students who attract Pupil Premium funding staying on into the Sixth Form

• Study Club run every day at lunch time in a computer room to support students with their extended learning
• Extended days after school run by Pupil Progress Mentors and LSA’s - open every day after school  to support students to complete their work

IMPACT

4 % of students in receipt of PPG funding had a detention for not completing extended learning tasks in comparison with 15 % of non-PPG students.

• Extra-curricular clubs – development of a lunchtime and after school programme allowing pupils to build their self-esteem in a caring and supportive environment

IMPACT

Students in receipt of PPG funding have good levels of attendance 2013/2014, similar to that of non-PPG students.

• Financial support for curriculum linked educational visits

IMPACT

100% of students in receipt of PPG funding were able to take part in curriculum linked trips if they wished and therefore had an experience of learning outside the classroom.

• Continued training of Peer Mentors with a new cohort of students to support the transition programme for Year 7 students
• Summer school for Year 6 students to support the transition programme (additional funding used too)

IMPACT

Improved transition for new Year 7 students and parents evidenced in feedback questionnaires with students and parents.

During 2014-2015, the following strategies are being put in place to support vulnerable students using the Pupil Premium:

• Small group teaching in English and Maths Years 7 – 11 to support all students in receipt of PPG, including those children looked after by a Local Authority
• Access to the Brilliant Club and Children’s University for ‘more able’ students
• Continued financial support for curriculum linked educational visits
• Revision sessions run for core subjects to boost attainment during holidays and weekends
• Extended day Study Club run by Pupil Support Mentors and LSA’s - open every day to support students to complete their work
• Improved use of Parents Evenings to engage parents of PPG students
• Provision of equipment and resources to support Accelerated Reading Programme in Year 7 and 8
• Increase pupil access to the Literacy and Numeracy interventions using computer programmes based on personalised learning for KS3 within English and Maths lessons.
• Improved transport support for students in Year 7 and 8 travelling by train.
• Continue to develop the Be The Best You Can Be – a 2012 Legacy project aimed at Year 8
• Aspirational projects – links with the RSC and employers to encourage STEM subjects
• Summer school to support the transition programme from Year 6 into Year 7
• Continued re-modelling of the Pupil Support Centre with full time staffing to support students across year groups in accessing school and the curriculum