Introduction
The Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011 in order to help address the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged peers. Schools are able to use the additional funding to help tackle these inequalities and directly target those pupils who need it most.
The level of the premium that we receive is £1,385 per pupil for pupils eligible for Free School Meals and pupils who have been eligible for Free School Meals at any point in the last six years (known as the Ever 6 Free School Meals). Looked-after children and eligible pupils who have been adopted from care or leaving care under a special guardianship or residence order are also eligible for additional funding which is managed by the local authority.
At Fernvale Primary school we are always working to ensure that low expectations or a poor socio-economic background are not a barrier to achievement. We do this by carefully considering the potential of all our children. We have a strong rationale behind our planned pupil premium spending, which we believe will ensure it is having maximum impact and that it is targeted at all of the children it is intended to benefit.
We also aim to continue to seek ways to encourage parents and carers to apply for free school meals where pride, stigma, or changing circumstances act as barriers to its take-up.
Context of the school
Fernvale Primary School has 320 pupils, in 11 classes and ranges from Foundation Stage to Y6. We are a Leicestershire school but extremely close to the Leicester City boundary and a proportion of children (approx. 33%) come from out of our catchment area, this is however now predicted to decrease due to the new houses in the area.
Our school community is diverse in social and cultural terms. 47% of pupils are boys though there are large variations from year group to year group. 35.7% of children are from minority ethnic backgrounds. 16.2% are from homes where English is not the first language. 8.1% are on the SEN record. There are currently 1% of children with EHCP. Currently, 5.4% of pupils are in receipt of FSM.
At Fernvale, we believe that children are entitled to a Primary education that offers quality, breadth of experience, the standard of excellence, and a sense of community.
Key Principles
Building Belief: We will provide a culture where: staff believe in ALL children, there are “no excuses” made for underperformance, staff adopt a “solution-focused” approach to overcoming barriers, staff support children to develop “growth” mind-sets towards learning.
Analysing Data We will ensure that: All staff are involved in the analysis of data so that they are fully aware of strengths and weaknesses across the school. We use research (Such as the Sutton Trust Toolkit) to support us in determining the strategies that will be most effective.
Identification of Pupils We will ensure that: ALL teaching staff and support staff are involved in analysis of data and identification of pupils. ALL staff are aware of who pupil premium and 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…..”
Improving Day to Day Teaching: We will continue to ensure that all children across the school receive good teaching, with increasing percentages of outstanding teaching achieved by using our team leaders to: Set high expectations. Address any within-school variance. Ensure consistent implementation of the non-negotiable, e.g. marking and guided reading. Share good practice within the school and draw on external expertise. Provide high quality CPD. Improve assessment through joint levelling and moderation.
Increasing learning time: We will maximise the time children have to “catch up” through: Improving attendance and punctuality. Providing earlier intervention (KS1 and EYFS). Extended learning out of school hours including early mornings and after school.
Individualising support “There’s no stigma attached to being in an intervention in this school. Everyone needs something, whatever that might be, and so they’re all getting something somewhere.”