Pupil Premium & Recovery Premium
What is Pupil Premium?
The Pupil Premium is funding allocated to schools for the specific purpose of boosting the attainment of pupils from low-income families. Funding is based on children who are registered for Free School Meals (FSM) or have been registered for FSM within the last 6 years, and children that have been Looked After by the Local Authority for more than six months.
Why has it been introduced?
The Government believes that the Pupil Premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) and their wealthier peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most. Schools are free to allocate the money to the initiatives they feel will best ensure their pupils reach their full potential, both academically and socially.
Pupils in receipt of Pupil Premium funding have their attainment monitored every half term to ensure they are making sufficient progress and that the interventions delivered by the teachers and teaching assistants are resulting in accelerated progress.
For a more detailed overview of our policy and procedures for the use of Pupil Premium funding please download our Pupil Premium Strategy.
All infant children now receive Universal Infant Free School Meals but if think your child may be eligible for Pupil Premium funding because of your family’s income level please contact the school office, (in confidence), to discuss registering and follow the instruction at the bottom of this page. The Pupil Premium funding that will be used to support them achieving their full potential.
Pupil Premium Plus
for Adopted Children and Looked After Children
If your child was looked after by a Local Authority before being adopted by you, then they are entitled to Pupil Premium Plus funding. Please inform Mrs. Waring if this applies to you so we can ensure we access this vital additional funding to support your child.
School applies for Pupil Premium Plus Funding for all children who are currently Looked After by a Local Authority.
Recovery Premium
Recovery premium allocations for mainstream schools are be based on pupil premium eligibility at £145 per pupil. This includes:
- pupils who are eligible for free school meals (FSM), including eligible children of families who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF)
- pupils who have been eligible for FSM at any point in the last 6 years
- children looked after by local authorities, referred to as looked-after children (LAC), and children previously looked after by local authorities, referred to as previously looked-after children (PLAC)
Gov.uk | Recovery premium funding
Are you eligible for Pupil Premium?
You can register for Pupil Premium funding by following the instructions:-
- Visit Nottinghamshire County Council's Free School Meals and Milk webpage:
https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/education/school-meals/free-school-meals-and-milk - Scroll down the page and click on ‘register here and apply now’. This will take you to the citizens portal.
- Register and follow the instructions to apply for free school meals and milk.
Pupil Premium Strategy
Please view our Pupil Premium Strategy below. These are reviewed termly, with a full annual review conducted each September. The next full annual review will take place in September 2024.
We have recently had a Pupil Premium Review, conducted by Dr Paul Heery, the CEO of White Hills Park Trust. This was a supportive measure to capture strengths of the strategy and help to evaluate impact to date. His findings are as follows:
- About 25% of the pupil population currently attract pupil premium funding, which amounts to just over £150,000 in the current year. The school currently has one LAC, and 3 PLAC.
- In recent years, the way that the school has allocated and used PPG has changed , moving away from considering it as a per pupil allocation, to a cross-school strategy, designed to be more responsive to need.
- School has identified the key PP priorities as Reading, Writing, Maths, Wellbeing and Attendance.
- The majority of funding goes on supporting pupil attainment, for example through tutoring or support for reading. A proportion is allocated to providing nurture, for example through ELSA support. Some of the money is spent on additional subsidies for trips, residentials, uniform etc. Provision for PP children is prominent in the current SIP, and in staff appraisal objectives.
- In the current year, the strategy has been revised and refined, to recognise the scale of the challenge in closing the gap. The initial focus is on understanding the PP cohort, including having a clear picture of the precise barriers they face. In the Autumn term, the school reviewed pupil data, including current and baseline assessments, and set aspirational targets. Phase groups meet weekly to review progress and consider further adaptations. Staff are expected to routinely identify and consider PP children in their planning.
- A key plank of the strategy is intervention. School has recruited a skilled tutor who works each morning. Every Y6 PP pupil has accessed tutoring. The effectiveness of the programme is closely monitored by the HT and SLT. Reading volunteers are principally targeted to support PP children.
- Additional nurture provision is provided through the Honeypot (see PD) and further interventions in the afternoon.
- Attendance of PP children is currently 92.9%. Pupils and their families are provided with tailored support to remove barriers that may have an impact on attendance. For example, the school has bought pyjamas and toothbrushes for families who are struggling to cope.
- Since January, PP pupils are supported with additional in-school sessions for homework, so that they all have homework completed by the time it is used as a basis for class work.
- Wider support is provided to ensure that PP children can access additional opportunities, for example through the gardening club for Y6 PP pupils.
- School data indicates that the reading gap for PP pupils is beginning to diminish, partly as a result of the adaptations made in the phonics strategy. Spring term data will be reviewed to evaluate the achievement impact overall.
Here are some May reflections on the impact of the 2023-2024 Strategy:
Speech and language therapist recruited to work with children with identified S&L concerns - Nineteen children have accessed support from the Speech and Language therapist. Of these 19 children, 8 children are PPG children. This is 42% of the children who have accessed support. The impact of this support links to adaptations to quality first teaching, support for bids and additional help and strategies to support parents working at home.
Case Study – The SALT professional has worked with a child with significant needs. She has provided specific tasks that we have implemented in school consistently and with repetition and we have shared these with parents. The child has become far more articulate and able to communicate her wants and needs. This has aided their overall development.
Educational psychologist recruited to work with identified children - Five children have accessed support from the Educational Psychologist. Of these 5 children, 3 children are PPG children. This is 60% of the children who have accessed support. The impact of this support links to adaptations to quality first teaching, support for bids and additional help and strategies to support parents working at home.
Case Study – The educational psychologist came to visit one of our PPG children who was struggling with her past experiences and related emotions, and this was being seen in her behaviour in school. The educational psychologist came to complete some focused observations and made suggestions for strategies to be used at home and at school. These were implemented and behaviour rapidly improved and was sustained.
All allocated leadership time activity focuses on the quality of teaching and learning in UKS2, including small group teaching and intervention - Time has been allocated to leaders to focus on the support for the PPG children. This is recorded in the Weekly News and is evidence of activity. Evidence of impact comes from the positive outcomes for all children:
Year 5
Year 5 PPG Reading – Autumn Term data indicated a gap between PPG and Non-PPG of 12%. This has now closed by 11% to 1%.
Year 5 PPG Writing - Autumn Term data indicated a gap between PPG and Non-PPG of 14%. This has now closed by 14% to 10%.
Year 5 PPG Maths - Autumn Term data indicated a gap between PPG and Non-PPG of 3%. This has now increased by 16% to 19%. 5 children have left Year 5 since Autumn and there is 1 more child eligible for PPG.
Pupil Voice -
J, Year 6, attends intervention group, “It is useful because we have smaller groups, and it is a change from the classroom. You can get more help.”
I, Year 6, attends intervention group, “I do work with less people and can concentrate more.”
H, Year 6, “It makes me smarter because, like, I learn different things. It’s a smaller group and not as noisy.”
In-house Year Six tuition teacher, supporting reading and writing - The support for Year 6 has been allocated at 5 mornings since October 2023. This support is targeted and monitored against spend.
Increased focus on the development of linked homework activities - In Year 6, the children started targeted homework activity from February 2024. This was aimed at giving greater opportunity to work at home of learning from inside school. This decision was made by Year 6 girls when they were asked how school could further support their preparation for school. We purchased a set of books for each child, and they have been working through them each week since that time. There are staff members available for Year 6 children to access targeted support that they may not have at home.
Pupil Voice -
J, Year 6, “I come in every day and do my homework. I can’t do it at home so although I don’t like it is helpful. “
L, Year 6, “It’s alright. It sometimes helps and sometimes it doesn’t. I can’t do my homework at home, so I have a place to do it.”
Increased musical tuition for PPG pupils - There are 17 children who attend music lessons. Of these 17 children, 10 children in receipt of PPG access these lessons.
Nurture staff employed to work daily with identified children in supporting their social and emotional wellbeing, which in turn supports their integration into the classroom - There are eleven children who are invited to the Honey Pot in the mornings. This is drop in and breakfast provision where the children take up this offer. This is a 20 minute start to the day, followed by a safe transition into class.
Of the 11 children, 9 children are eligible for the PPG. This is 82% of the group.
Curriculum trips to support cultural capital and understanding - The curriculum is designed to support the development of knowledge, skills and understanding. Each year group has structured and planned trips, that are local and further afield to support their understanding and broaden their experiences. These trips for children in receipt of PPG are fully funded:
Year 2 Newstead Abbey, 23/11/23 - £20.00 x 13 = £260.00
Year 3 Cresswell Craggs, 30/11/23 - £18.00 x 12 = £216.00
Year 5 Space Centre, 29/11/23 - £19.50 x 13 = £253.50
Total at 1st May 2024 - £729.50
Residential trips to support personal development, behaviour and attitudes and broaden experiences - There is a structured approach to residential activity and opportunity within school. These residential trips for children in receipt of PPG are funded on a 2/3 basis:
Year 4 Hathersage, 12/6/24 - £135.00 x 12 = £1,080.00
Year 6 Willersley, 19/01/24 - £138.75 x 17 = £1,572.50
Total at 1st May 2024 - £2,652.50
After School clubs to support children in engaging in additional activity and to broaden experiences and opportunities - The number and variety of extra-curricular enhancement activities is vast. These range from fencing to jewellery making and take place before and after school. The school keeps close eye on the children and families that access these clubs and encourage participation from children in receipt of PPG. This is not always easy, as some families in receipt of PPG travel long distances to come to John Clifford School.
At present (1 May 24) there are 38/97, 39% of the PPG children access an after-school club. This is lower than last year at this stage but leaders have identified which children and families do not access this provision and have started to collect pupil voice to analyse why this is the case so that provision can be put in place.
Attendance clubs to support children being punctual and to ensure that the day starts well for parents/carers and children - The number and variety of extra-curricular enhancement activities is vast. These range from fencing to jewellery making and take place before and after school. The school keeps close eye on the children and families that access these clubs and encourage participation from children in receipt of PPG. This is not always easy, as some families in receipt of PPG travel long distances to come to John Clifford School. Attendance at 1st May 2024 for children in receipt of PPG is 92.7%, which is 1.4% lower than Non-PPG children.
Pupil Voice -
Sports club - W, Year 2, “If it’s nice we get to go on the field and exercise makes you healthy. You can be stronger when you grow up. You could be a footballer when you grow up because you learnt how to play at school.”
Dodgeball - L, Year 4, “I play football and dodgeball and it is really good because we like kicking to score it in.”
Dance Club - L, Year 1, “It helps my body do some exercising. It is really fun and really good for your body.”
Dance Club – A, Year 2, “We learn new things in dance club and Miss H helps us. It helps us when we wanna learn new things at dance. I want to come to school.”
Dance Club – A, Year 2, “Miss H helps us dance and get better at it.”
ELSA trained member of staff supports the development of emotional literacy of identified as requiring 1:1 support and small group activity - There are thirteen children who access ELSA on a 1:1 and small group basis. Of the 13 children, 11 children are eligible for the PPG. This is 85% of the accessing children.
Provision of outdoor learning/forest school opportunities for all children, supporting key reading, writing and maths skills. This hands-on approach to learning will support in core classroom-based activities - All children have access to outdoor learning with a very experienced Level 3 Forest School trained professional. This is delivered on an alternative week basis and linked to the curriculum, effective principles of play and the early years foundation stage best practice.
