What is Pupil Premium?
Pupil Premium (PP) funding is an additional sum allocated to schools by the government in addition to the main school budget. It is awarded on the basis of the number of children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) either currently or at any time in the past six years. The funding is seen as a way to address the learning of children identified as vulnerable to underachieving by supporting initiatives to ensure that these pupils fulfill their full potential.
Looked After children also receive a premium. From 2012, Service children (those who have or had a parent from an Armed Forces background in the past 3 years) receive a smaller premium.
‘The pupil premium is paid to schools as they are best placed to assess what additional provision their pupils need.’ Department for Education website, July 2014.
How much Pupil Premium has been allocated for the current academic year?
We anticipate an allocation of £41,055 Pupil Premium funding for the financial year 2023/2024. With recovery premium funding of £3,335, we have a total budget for 2022/23 of £44,390, a fall of almost £5,000 from 2022/23 before increased staffing costs are taken into account.
How do we intend to spend Pupil Premium funding for financial year 2023/2024?
At Banwell School our vision statement is Belong Believe Achieve. We have a strong sense of community between home, school, the village and the wider world.
Pupil Premium Funding is focused on supporting children to achieve academically. In addition to ensuring quality first teaching, we closely monitor assessment data to understand where children may have gaps in their understanding, and focus our support accordingly.
We use a proportion of Pupil Premium allocation to enable all pupils to experience a broader range of activities including; trips, visits, clubs, camps, breakfast club etc. We also have a Pupil Support Team who work closely with all staff and families to ensure that any additional support provided is effective. We are flexible and innovative in our approach.
What is Pupil Premium?
Pupil Premium was introduced in April 2011 and is additional funding given to schools for:
- Children from low income families who are eligible for free school meals or who have been eligible at any point in the last 6 years.
- Looked after children (adopted / fostered).
- Children with parents in the Armed forces.
It is to be used by schools, to enable these pupils to reach their potential.
What are the main barriers to learning our pupils experience?
Having low expectations/esteem/aspirations and/or a fixed mindset:
For example: believing you are not good enough; being unable to accept failing as part of learning; being unwilling to take risks; being unwilling to make mistakes.
Not being supported to succeed in school
For example: being overtired; being frequently absent from school; being discouraged by hearing others' talk negatively; not being ready for school e.g. missed breakfast, lateness, missing equipment/kit.
Not having the same opportunities, experiences, knowledge & skills as most children the same age
For example: not understanding/using a wide vocabulary; not making desired/expected progress.
Please see the document below for ideas to help overcome barriers to learning at home.
The pandemic
The pandemic has brought a number of challenges to our pupils, as parents have tried to juggle work and home learning, illness and loss of income. There is no single problem and often families who have previously not experienced barriers to supporting their children have found themselves facing a barrage of difficulties. The pandemic has also left many people facing a loss of income and therefore there has been an increase in those needing additional support.
How do I apply for Free School Meals?
Please click here to access North Somerset Council's online checker.
How has it made a difference to the attainment of pupils who are entitled to Pupil Premium funding?
The education of our pupils since March 2020 has been interrupted by the Coronavirus pandemic. As is the case nationally, our in-school data shows that children's learning has been impacted by lockdowns and illness. We monitor children's learning using standardised national tests and analyse the results to check for gaps.
The end of year Key Stage 2 data for 2018/2019 was the best set of outcomes that Banwell has ever had. The overall percentage of children achieving age related expectations in combined reading, writing and maths was above the national average. The overall attainment of children who are entitled to Pupil Premium funding is not yet in line with those who are Non-Pupil Premium. However, the progress data for these children shows a more pleasing picture.
Improving the attainment outcomes for Pupil Premium children continues to be a key priority in our school improvement plan.
How do we ensure effective use of Pupil Premium?
We hold regular Pupil Progress meetings with the Maths Leader, the English Leader and the Pupil Support Team Leader. Individual progress is monitored and strategies/interventions to accelerate and support progress are reviewed. The School Leadership Team and Governing Body monitor the impact of all spending and interventions, including the Pupil Premium.
