Pupil Premium
What is Pupil Premium?
The Government gives funds to schools to help children from families with lower income do their very best. This funding is called ‘Pupil Premium’ and is based on the number of children who are entitled to free school meals.
Funding is allocated for children who are looked after by the Local Authority, and for every child who is registered for free school meals.
All our pupils from Reception to Year 6 are currently provided with a universal free school meal; this is an initiative of the Mayor of London. However, to be entitled to Pupil Premium funding, parents must make an application for free school meals.
Children entitled to pupil premium also receive 50% reduction on uniform costs, some free items annually, as well as 50% off all after-school clubs and breakfast club.
How do we use it?
Our Pupil Premium Grant is utilised in a range of ways that we believe has the greatest impact. The grant provides a range of additional support for our pupils, which will have a significant impact on children’s learning, progress, and attainment.
Whilst we believe that effectively differentiated Quality First Teaching is crucial and ensures success and progress, we also understand the importance of targeted, precision intervention. As such, we use a range of intervention strategies to provide children with the additional support and challenge that they need in order to accelerate progress and for some children to eliminate barriers to learning so they are equipped with the tools, skills and experience they need to reach age related expectations and as they move through the school.
Targeted support is being provided through one-to-one and small group tuition, these interventions support children in knowing where they are and what they need to do to improve their work.
How do we manage the decision process?
We have established clear lines of responsibility with a member of the senior leadership team and a LAB member taking responsibility for Pupil Premium. Our strategy for effective use of Pupil Premium Grant is driven by the school leadership team and is based upon careful discussions, observations, assessment and monitoring.
We have planned our spending carefully to ensure that it has been spent to maximum effect. This means making informed decisions about our spending such as:
- Ensuring that spending is directly linked to closing gaps in attainment
- Making use of our attainment and progress data to ensure interventions
- Making sure that we focus on ensuring Quality First teaching is our priority and at the heart of all we do
- Ensuring that we effectively evaluate the impact of challenge and support where necessary.
Additional funding is used to benefit all pupil premium children and supports higher as well as lower ability children by extending the provision on offer.
The majority of our pupil premium is spent on strategies to raise attainment and close any gaps. Strategies include:
Pupil welfare and wellbeing
- Rewards for excellent attendance and punctuality
- Extended places at Breakfast Club and after school clubs that are subsidised for those children in receipt of Pupil Premium
- Supporting families with uniform and clothing requirements.
Raising Standards
- Additional non-class based senior staff to enable the teaching of children in smaller class sizes and in small groups for aspects of core subjects
- Additional purchases of Reading books and materials to support the teaching of phonics and reading
- Professional development: releasing teachers to work with colleagues across the school and the wider Trust to raise standards and close the attainment gap
- Additional support from the Early Years team at Islington Local authority to ensure best practice
- Additional interventions to boost levels and provide small group catch up sessions, including 1:1 tuition for targeted children.
Enrichment
- Allocated greater amount of money from budget for off-site activities and in-school enrichment opportunities
- Homework and extended day clubs provided free of charge to targeted pupils
- Subsidised musical instrument lessons.
WPS Pupil Premium Strategy 2023 – 2024
If your child does not have free school meals but you think they may be entitled to it because of your family income level, please contact the office for more information. All discussions will be discreet and will be kept in confidence.