Pupil Premium

The pupil premium is additional funding for publicly funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and close the gap between them and their peers.

Pupil Premium 2023/2024

Pupil premium funding is available to:

  • local authority maintained schools, including special schools and pupil referral units (PRUs).
  • voluntary-sector alternative provision (AP), with local authority agreement.
  • special schools not maintained by the local authority (NMSS).
  • academies and free schools, including special and AP academies.

Funding – Financial year 2023 to 2024

In the 2023 to 2024 financial year, schools will receive the following funding for each child registered as eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years:

  • £353 for Early Years
  • £1,455 for Primary School
  • £1,035 for Secondary School

Schools will also receive £2,530 for each pupil who has left local-authority care because of 1 of the following:

  • Adoption.
  • A special guardianship order.
  •  A child arrangements order.
  • A residence order.

Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit. However, they are accountable for how they use the additional funding to support pupils.

Southwick Community Primary School Ethos.

Southwick Community Primary School aims to:-

  • Create an interesting and stimulating environment that reflects our values and promotes a sense of community as well as an individual sense of self-worth;
  • Develop a culture of challenge and high expectation to maximise individual potential;
  • Develop a community of life-long learners who understand that knowledge is a right for all and a recognised achievement;
  • Provide learning experiences that will allow all pupils equal opportunities to develop their thinking and creative skills;
  • Promote social, cultural, moral and spiritual development and prepare pupils to be responsible citizens;
  • Encourage the partnership with parents/carers and foster positive links with the community.

The targeted and strategic use of Pupil Premium funding will support us in achieving our aims.

Principles

  • We ensure that teaching and learning opportunities meet the needs of all 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 catered for.
  • In making provision for socially disadvantaged pupils, we recognise that not all pupils who are eligible for free school meals, (or have been eligible in the last 6 years) are socially disadvantaged.
  • We also recognise that not all pupils who are socially disadvantaged are registered or qualify for free school meals. We therefore allocate Pupil Premium funding to support any pupil or groups of pupils that the school has legitimately identified as being socially disadvantaged. At least 70% of any group is identified as being socially disadvantaged (range 60-80%).
  • Pupil Premium funding will be allocated following half-termly pupil progress meetings and data analysis which will identify priority individuals, classes, groups and cohorts.

Provision

We have a range of provision in place to support our children who belong to vulnerable groups, including those who are socially disadvantaged.

  • Providing small group work with an experienced teacher focussed on overcoming gaps in learning.
  • Providing small group work with a TA focussed on overcoming gaps in learning.
  • Additional teaching and learning opportunities provided by teachers, TAs or external agencies, including ‘booster classes’.
  • Additional support for assessments, training and advice from specialists such as speech therapists, educational psychologists etc.
  • Access to therapeutic interventions and advice, such as Place 2 Be.
  • Paying for activities, visits and visitors that broaden the curriculum.
  • Providing a range of external visits to enliven children’s experiences.
  • 1-1 support

All our work funded by the Pupil Premium will be aimed at accelerating progress so that our children can narrow the gap and over time meet age related expectations.

Reporting

The Headteacher will produce annual reports for the Governing body:

  • The progress made towards narrowing the gap, by year group, for socially disadvantaged pupils
  • An outline of the provision
  • An evaluation of the cost effectiveness, in terms of the progress made by the pupils receiving a particular provision, when compared with other forms of support.
  • The Governors of the school will ensure that there is an annual statement to parents and carers on how the Pupil Premium funding has been used to address the issue of ‘narrowing the gap’, for socially disadvantaged pupils.  This statement will be published on the schools website.

Appeal

Any appeals against this policy will be through the Governors’ complaints procedure.