Pupil Premium and Year 7 Catch-up funding

What are the barriers to progress of students?

In England, there is a considerable difference between the GCSE outcomes that students who are deemed ‘pupil premium’ achieve, and those who are not, for both progress made from primary school and attainment. Quite rightly, all schools nationally are charged with diminishing this difference for their students as quickly as possible. As an academy we fully welcome this drive to secure the very best qualifications for ALL students, regardless of their circumstances or individual need. This is a fundamental right for all our learners, and is at the heart of our vision for the academy, and all the schools in our Trust to place ’students first. We are determined to ensure that we rapidly raise standards, and transform lives, for all.

It is critical that we identify the barriers that students face to their learning and progress at school. This in turn allows our relentless focus, support and challenge to our young people, so they all can properly secure life changing qualifications and the confidence and skills to make their way in adult life and the workplace as successfully as possible. This identification also allows honest and sometimes frank discussions with parents so that we can work as effectively together to get the very best for their sons and daughters.

We do not have a blanket approach to how we support pupil premium students, as we strongly believe they are individuals. We aim to know all our students and families well, to allow bespoke support where it is needed, pulling from a very wide range of strategies and support processes from teachers, learning managers, support staff and the leadership of the academy.

Plans for Pupil Premium in 2017/18

Pupil Premium is an additional grant given to students who:

• have been eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any time in the last six years (£935)
• have been in Local Authority care for more than 1 day or have been adopted from care (£1900)
• have parents/carers in the armed services currently, or at any time in the past 4 years (£300)

We have been allocated £273,955.00 for the academic year 2017/2018. We will receive this money in regular installments and these funds are in addition to the main school budget (the general annual grant). At academies within the OGAT ‘family of schools’ we have developed many robust intervention strategies over a number of years and all of these are designed to support each individual student to achieve their potential. We are proud that we have a proven track record for ‘narrowing the gap’ and therefore diminishing the differences in outcomes for specific cohorts of students; this has allowed us to fulfil one of our core aims of raising standards and transforming lives.
Below is a list of strategies that we will use at Outwood Academy Bishopsgarth to support students and the total cost of some of these strategies. The intervention strategies exceed by far the total amount we receive for the Pupil Premium. The Pupil Premium is used to support all of these strategies:

Curriculum Support

• Revision sessions for students preparing for examinations are held at regular intervals throughout the year. Sessions are provided within the Academy day as well as evenings, weekends and during holiday time.
• Revision guides and further reading and electronic materials for English, science and maths are provided to students free of charge. All students are issued with a scientific calculator and a ‘maths pack’ with all necessary equipment to facilitate their studies.
• Accelerated Reader and Lucid are used to raise literacy across the Academy. Extra lessons in English (and maths) in Year 7 and 8 (4 lessons a week) also facilitate this.
• Directors of subject have been deployed from the Outwood Trust to support students in making rapid progress in English, maths and science . We have also added directors in modern foreign languages, performing arts, ICT and humanities to work at Outwood Academy Bishopsgarth this academic year.
• Option English, Option maths and Option science are additions to the core curriculum for these subject areas.
• SLT support is provided in most Year 11 English and maths lessons.
• 1-1 intervention post holders in maths, science and English provide high quality intervention in Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4. Additionally, small group intervention occurs in VMG time for Maths, English and Science.
• Alternative provision can be considered through partnership with the Local Authority and other approved local providers where necessary.
• Additional small group interventions occur through the Bridge, PLC and Additionally Resourced Provision Unit where necessary.
• Students who qualify for Pupil Premium are also supported, when necessary, with music lessons, specialist equipment and trips to enhance their learning experiences.

Uniform:
New Outwood uniform has been provided for all students across the academy. In addition, all students who join Outwood Academy Bishopsgarth during the course of this academic year will receive a free uniform to ensure that all students are starting from the same point.

Careers advice and guidance for Year 9, 10 and 11:
An independent careers advisor (Careers Inc.) has been employed for up to two days per week to work with students in all year groups. Presently, all Year 11 students receive an individual ‘interview’ with the Senior Leadership Team to support them with their post 16 applications, but are also offered the opportunity for independent advice with the careers advice service. Work is taking place in conjunction with the Local Authority with Year 11 students who are at risk of becoming NEETs. Students who are identified by the above criteria are all given additional dedicated time with the careers office with a focus on their future and choices. The academy have appointed a member of staff as an Aspiring Leader in a Deeps role to coordinate all aspects of work in this area.

Pastoral Care:
The Inclusion Co-ordinator, Learning Managers, Teaching Assistants, Attendance Officer, CEIAG Officer, Personalised Learning Centre Manager and Education Welfare Officer make up a highly skilled and experienced team whose focus is the achievement of all students. Weekly meetings ensure that vulnerable students are making the progress they should and any form of intervention that is needed is in place. Our school nurse works with students and is a valuable resource to offer support and medical advice. The peer mentoring programme provides one to one support for vulnerable students in Key Stage 3 and 4. In addition, the academy have secured further support from OGAT to receive an additional 4 days per week of external trust-based EWO support.

Use of Pupil Premium in 2016/17

In the financial year April 2016 to March 2017 £225,760.00 was received. Strategies were put in place to support students’ academic and pastoral needs.