Pupil Premium

Pupil Premium Strategy Statement 2023-24

What is the ‘Pupil Premium’?

The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011 and is a sum of money in the school’s budget.

The Government allocates a particular amount to each school based on the number of students who are known to be entitled to Free School Meals or have been in Local Authority care continuously for more than six months; this is because children in these categories have, nationally, consistently attained lower results in schools. The aim is that schools use the funding to help raise attainment and accelerate these pupils’ academic progress thereby diminishing the difference between their performance and that of their peers.

Funding for those pupils whose parents are currently serving in the armed forces has also been introduced. This is known as the ‘Service Premium’.

Woolavington Village Primary School acknowledges the responsibility for ‘socially disadvantaged’ pupils and we are committed to meeting their pastoral, social and academic needs in order to diminish the difference between vulnerable pupils and their peers.

The Pupil Premium and Service Premium are vital to that process, which is approached through the following principles:

ensuring that ‘Quality First’ teaching and learning opportunities meet the needs of all the pupils;
ensuring that appropriate provision is made for pupils who belong to vulnerable groups,
ensuring the needs of socially disadvantaged pupils are adequately assessed and addressed;
recognising that not all pupils who receive free school meals will be socially disadvantaged, or that not all pupils who are socially disadvantaged are registered or qualify for free school meals;
allocating the funding to support any pupil or groups of pupils the school has legitimately identified as being socially disadvantaged;
ensuring the progress of pupils is rigorously monitored and reviewed as part of the school’s assessment cycle by senior leaders, staff and governors;
linking performance management and whole school development targets to the achievement of these groups of pupils;

Limited funding and resources, and changing school priorities driven by identified areas of need mean that not all eligible children will be in receipt of Pupil Premium interventions at one time.

Overview of Provision for disadvantaged children

£1320 per FSM or LAC child

£300 per Services child

Identified barriers for our disadvantaged children

Our disadvantaged children face a variety of different barriers to learning.

Academic interventions are key to quickly addressing issues of attainment and progress which is why the school has invested in Talkboost interventions. Tackling poor speaking and listening issues from an early age has been identified as a key area for attention for the school. Addressing confidence around speaking correctly and clearly and developing the skill of actively listening is considered vital to later progress in reading and writing. In addition to this bespoke intervention, small group and 1:1 teacher-led sessions in reading comprehension, writing support and maths are organised to tackle historical gaps in learning so that children are able to catch up with their peers more quickly.

In addition to academic interventions, the school also recognises that enrichment activities and opportunities for our disadvantaged children are essential, in order to support their holistic development. Developing a love of learning and providing emotional support for this to happen is key. We have therefore provided opportunities to extend learning beyond the school day by providing homework clubs after school, a home school learning platform to allow children to continue to access learning support at home and this year an Easter school to ensure the momentum of learning for vulnerable Year 6 disadvantaged children continues over the extended Easter break.

As well as academic barriers, social and emotional disadvantage is tackle through our PFSA group or 1:1 interventions. Our Forest school offer is aimed at disadvantaged pupils who are socially vulnerable or lacking in confidence. The Pupil Premium funding has also meant that the school is able to make learning outside of school hours, eg. trips and educational visits more accessible to Pupil Premium children.

Attendance was identified as an issue for this school in the last Ofsted inspection so the school is also intending to use some of its Pupil Premium funding to promote better attendance and punctuality for disadvantaged children for the remainder of this academic year and beyond. This includes subsidised breakfast club places and end of year incentives for regular attendance and punctuality.

Further information

Department for Education Articles and advice for children and young people.