What is the Pupil Premium?
Pupil Premium funding is a government initiative that targets additional support at pupils from deprived backgrounds. This is because research has shown that such pupils underachieve compared to other pupils. The money is provided to ensure that schools are able to support these pupils in achieving their full potential. The government have used pupils who are entitled to free school meals (FSM) as an indicator of deprivation and they allocate a fixed amount of money per pupil to schools each financial year based upon the number of pupils who have been registered for FSM at any point during the previous six years. An amount of money is also allocated to children who are looked after (LAC) and service children. The government does not dictate how this money should be spent but schools are expected to employ strategies that they are confident will ‘diminish the difference’ in attainment between those pupils which are considered to be deprived and those who are not. Schools are accountable for this allocation of resources and must demonstrate that pupils in receipt of Pupil Premium achieve well compared to other pupils. The funding is also used for the promotion of Extended services to raise aspiration and for widening pupils awareness of the wider cultural diversity e.g. trips, visitors to school.
At Kirby Thore Primary School, our pupil premium strategy is designed to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their background or barriers to learning, receive the support they need to achieve their full potential. We are committed to closing the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and non-disadvantaged peers, aiming that by the time they sit statutory assessments, our disadvantaged pupils are performing at least in line with their peers. We also focus on the whole child and aim to ensure our disadvantaged pupils leave primary school physically, socially, emotionally and academically ready to succeed at secondary school.
A key aspect of our strategy is the focus on providing all students with enriched opportunities to develop their cultural capital. We believe that cultural capital – the knowledge, skills and experiences that help students to thrive in school and in later life – is a fundamental component of education. We aim to ensure that all our pupils, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have access to a broad range of experiences that will equip them with the social, cultural and academic confidence to succeed in a range of contexts. This includes taking part in local opportunities as well as those which take them to places they may not otherwise visit.
We also aim to ensure our disadvantaged pupils are exposed to a language-rich curriculum so that they learn to communicate effectively and confidently in a range of situations and a variety of experiences. This begins in the early years where time for talk is a priority. We also plan purposeful play to promote executive function so that children develop sustained focus, resilience and cooperation as they complete challenge-based activities such as jigsaws and small world play. For children from years one to six we have developed a bespoke curriculum which is experience rich as we aim to teach ensuring children will “know more and remember more” of the critical and pivotal knowledge they need for success. We strive to equip them with skills (including metacognitive ones) and knowledge that will ensure they are resilient, independent learners who can overcome challenges, solve problems and have a thirst for learning.
Our pupil premium strategy runs alongside our Academy Development Plan and school values which teach pupils how to behave safely, showing respect and being ready for learning at different ages and stages. This means that the school is focused on a consistent clear message of aiming high and diminishing the disadvantage gap. Our key principles are underpinned by our ADP which is focussed on Maths, English, Metacognition and offering a wide range of cultural capital through our foundation subjects and enrichment opportunities. At Kirkby Thore School, we know children must be ready to learn by ensuring their personal, social, emotional and developmental needs are met.
