Pupil Premium
Pupil Premium Statement
Easton Royal Academy & Excalibur Academies Trust
What is the Pupil Premium?
The Pupil Premium is additional funding for Reception children through to age 16 that is allocated to schools and academies to help support socially disadvantaged students of all abilities. Its purpose is to close the attainment gap between those identified as Pupil Premium and their peers.
Background
The pupil premium targets extra funding for those from the least advantaged backgrounds. Research shows these pupils underachieve compared to their peers. The premium is provided in order to support these more vulnerable groups of pupils to reach their potential.
The Government have used pupils entitled to free School Meals (FSM), children in service personnel families, Children Looked After (CLA) and children who have left local authority care as indicators that targeted support is likely to be needed and have provided an additional fixed amount of money to schools per pupil to further support their education.
The Government has not dictated to schools how to spend this money, but are clear that schools need to employ strategies that they know will support these pupils to increase their attainment and narrow the gap.
Policy Statement
All members of staff, governors and the trust central team and board accept responsibility for pupils with the least social advantages and are committed to meeting their pastoral, social and academic needs within a supportive environment. As with every child in our care, a child who is considered to be socially disadvantaged is valued, respected and entitled to develop their full potential, irrespective of need.
The trust is funded for a high number of Pupil Premium students, The number of pupils in each school is highly variable. Each school has determination and oversight of their own Pupil Premium spend. Whilst some of these funds are directed towards distinct interventions, the majority of the pupil premium grant is targeted to ensure the highest quality of teaching for these pupils.
The strategic leadership team of each school will maintain an on-going programme of support and monitoring for children and your people eligible for Pupil Premium support. This programme will be subject to oversight from the Local Governing Body and the Trust Board.
All staff have a responsibility in providing the best possible provision for young people. In doing so, they have a responsibility to monitor progress and adapt planning and teaching to ensure these students maximise their progress. It should be noted there is no substitute for high quality classroom teaching. The Sutton Trust and EEF research clearly indicate the importance of in-class provision and support. This research indicates that disadvantaged pupils benefit greatly from the highest standards of teaching: equally, they are disproportionally affected by poor quality teaching.
Reporting
It will be the responsibility of the designated member of the Leadership Team to produce a report to senior staff and to Governors which includes:
- An outline of the provision in place to support pupil premium pupils/students
- The progress of pupils/students supported by pupil premium funding
- An evaluation of the programme including the impact of initiatives and personnel
- A plan for the academic year that links funding to interventions
The Local Governing Body and the Principal will ensure that the website includes the Excalibur Pupil Premium Statement and review for the school.
The Director of Strategy will report to the board that all schools are compliant regarding their websites in December each year.
Barriers of learning
The Trust has identified a number of barriers to learning which need to be overcome in order for all children and young people to make progress and succeed.
The key areas the Trust have focused their schools and training around are -
- Literacy
- Speech and language development
- Emotional and behavioural development and support
- Attendance and punctuality
- Resilience and high aspirations
- Special Educational Needs - a high proportion of pupil premium pupils are also identified as SEN
Whole Trust pupil premium reviews and impact assessments at school and Trust level indicate that this early focus is proving successful with key gaps between pupil premium pupils and those nationally being overcome and/or closing rapidly.
