Pupil Premium Information 2022-23
Pupil Premium is additional to main school funding and is allocated to schools for children who have been registered for free school meals at any time in the last 6 years, have been looked after for one day or more, are adopted from care or leave care under a Special Guardianship or Residence Order or whose parents have served in the armed forces in any of the previous 4 years.
The aim of the funding is to help address the current inequalities which exist between these children and their peers by raising achievement and improving outcomes. High quality teaching and learning is important to all children, regardless of their background or situation; this is what we strive to provide at Abbeyfields and all staff are committed to this.
It is important to note that not all children eligible for free school meals are low attaining or making poor progress. The individual needs of each cohort in any particular academic year will be assessed and planned for appropriately.
Click here to read our Pupil Premium Policy
Pupil Premium strategy statement
This statement details our school’s use of pupil premium (and recovery premium for the 2022 to 2023 academic year) funding to help improve the attainment of our disadvantaged pupils.
It outlines our pupil premium strategy, how we intend to spend the funding in this academic year and the effect that last year’s spending of pupil premium had within our school.
School overview
Detail | Data |
School name | Abbeyfields First School |
Number of pupils in school | 332 (Nursery-Year 4) |
Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils | 14% |
Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers (3 year plans are recommended) | 2020-2023 |
Date this statement was published | 2022-2023 |
Date on which it will be reviewed | July 2023 |
Statement authorised by | Sandra Ford |
Pupil Premium lead | Lisa Shooter |
Governor / Trustee lead | Andrew Tebbutt (School Governing Bodylor) |
Funding overview
Detail | Amount |
Our pupil premium funding allocation for this academic is made up of: ● 63.7% Ever 6 Free School Meals ● 33.7% Post Looked After Children ● 2.6% Service Children |
£50,005 |
Recovery premium funding allocation this academic year | £4,350 |
Pupil premium funding carried forward from previous years (enter £0 if not applicable) | £0 |
Total budget for this academic year | £54,355 |
Part A: Pupil Premium Strategy Plan
Statement of intent
Context
Abbeyfields is located in a diverse area of Morpeth as children that attend come from a wide range of economically diverse backgrounds. This includes a number of children who come from low income families, generational unemployment and social services involvement. We also have children from more affluent backgrounds. Our challenge is to provide a ‘level playing field’ for our pupils to ensure we deliver equality of opportunity for all. We do this by ensuring children from low starting points are provided with the best possible support and experiences to enable them to succeed, whilst also providing for pupils who come to school more socially and academically ready. Whatever their background, we want the children to have the best experience we can give them. We acknowledge that for some children long periods of diminished social opportunities brought upon us by Covid-19 has affected their social and personal development. We remain committed to supporting these children in school and seeking external advice and support to meet their needs. We have a number of children from Ukraine. We remain focussed on the needs of all our disadvantaged children in line with our overall policies of minimising the effects of a disrupted education for all children. Our strategy builds on and enhances the effective strategies adopted and adapted over the last 3 or 4 years and reflects the Abbeyfields belief “Where every child is special”. Aims for pupil premium spend 2022-23 At Abbeyfields First School our intention is that all pupils, irrespective of their background, environment or the challenges they face, make good progress and achieve well across all subjects areas. All members of staff and Governors have high expectations and are committed to raising achievement for all children, diminishing the gap between children who are eligible for the Pupil Premium, the Service Pupil Premium grant and their peers. Our principles for pupil premium funding At Abbeyfields, we are committed to ensuring that all of our children, within all pupil groups, (boys, girls, those with special educational needs, those with English as an additional language, those from different ethnic backgrounds), regardless of their background or disadvantage, achieve and exceed their potential. We recognise that not all children who may be eligible for free school meals (FSM) are disadvantaged and equally recognise those who are not eligible for FSM may also have significant barriers to learning. As a school:
Monitoring our pupil premium children We will ensure our approaches are effective by checking all disadvantaged pupils are challenged in the work they are given and that effective and appropriate intervention is given at the point it is identified and needed. Our approach is embedded in our whole school practice where all staff have responsibility for disadvantaged pupils and work to raise expectations and achievements. The designated School Governing Bodylor will liaise regularly with the Pupil Premium Lead and the Headteacher to verify that the Pupil Premium policy and strategy is being implemented effectively. The designated School Governing Bodylor will conduct termly Pupil Premium monitoring visits with the Pupil Premium Lead. The Headteacher will ensure that the needs of socially disadvantaged pupils are adequately assessed and actions addressed through termly progress meetings, their academic progress tracked, barriers to learning identified and targets and next steps set. |
Challenges
This section details the key challenges to achievement that we have identified among our disadvantaged pupils. This list is not exhaustive, neither do all parts of it apply to all of our disadvantaged children. Other factors that affect some of our pupils in receipt of pupil premium grant include gaps in school readiness from the early years, family stresses, anxiety and financial hardship, adverse childhood experiences and other identified additional needs.
Challenge number | Detail of challenge |
1 | Our assessments, observations and discussions with pupils have identified increased social and emotional issues in our pupil premium children. Challenges such as self-esteem and self-belief, emotional resilience, self regulation, confidence and motivation are evident and are having an effect on learning for an increased number of disadvantaged pupils. |
2 | Assessments, observations and discussions with pupils have shown that an increasing number of children require additional behaviour support (THRIVE, zones of regulation, nurture, explicit teaching of behaviour expectations, Ready, Respectful, Safe approach). |
3 | Assessments, observations and discussions with pupils suggests that an increasing number of pupil premium children also have additional needs, e.g. academic, social, emotional, concentration and self-help. There is an overlap with pupil premium children requiring support for SEND and THRIVE. Vulnerable Groups October 2022 anonymised |
4 | Some of our pupil premium children have limited life experiences beyond their home and local community creating a disadvantage in their ‘cultural capital’. |
Intended outcomes
This explains the outcomes we are aiming for by the end of our current strategy plan,
and how we will measure whether they have been achieved.
Intended outcome | Success criteria |
Appropriate planning will be in place to address the needs of Pupil Premium children who are also identified as having SEND or social and emotional needs. |
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To achieve and sustain improved well being for all pupils, particularly our disadvantaged pupils. |
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Improved reading attainment and outcomes among disadvantaged pupils. |
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Improved maths attainment and outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. |
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Pupils positive engagement in the broad and enriched curriculum on offer, including a focus upon cultural capital and goals and aspirations, preparing them for a successful future in and beyond school life. |
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Activity in this academic year
This details how we intend to spend our pupil premium (and recovery premium funding) this academic year to address the challenges listed above.
Teaching (for example, CPD, recruitment and retention)
Budgeted cost: £14,892 to employ a Thrive Practitioner.
The EEF toolkit suggested that oral language interventions which include – targeted reading aloud and discussing books with young children, explicitly extending pupils’ spoken vocabulary and the use of structured questioning to develop reading comprehension can improve outcomes by up to 5 months.
Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
Improve the quality of social and emotional learning for PP and SPP children through:
1. Thrive – embed our whole school approach. 2. Outdoor Learning – enhance character education, personal development and enrich the curriculum offer 3. SEND provision – high quality golden thread that runs throughout our universal offer |
There is extensive evidence associating childhood social and emotional skills with improved outcomes at school and in later life (e.g., improved academic performance, attitudes, behaviour and relationships with peers).
Education Endowment Foundation (EEF): Improving Social and Emotional Learning in Primary Schools Thrive:
Ordinarily available provision: SEND : Ordinarily Available Provision | Northumberland Education Nasen: DFE behaviour guidance for Head Teachers: |
1,2,3 |
Sustaining high quality first teaching in reading, to improve outcomes for children (particularly disadvantaged children) at the end of EYS and KS1.
Strengthening staff subject knowledge and teaching/assessment of phonics through RWI as a result of the English Hub Review. Strengthening the teaching and acquisition of vocabulary across all subject areas, so that all children can access the ambitious school curriculum. |
Where high Quality First teaching (QFT) is outstanding in school, children, including disadvantaged children attain age related expectations and above. As an approach this needs to be consistent and maintained throughout every class in school.
This is supported by the EEF document, ‘The Attainment Gap’ (2017), which states that the ‘Quality of teaching is the biggest driver of pupil attainment, particularly for those from a disadvantaged background’ and goes on to discuss research to support this. Good teaching is the most important lever schools have to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Using the Pupil Premium to improve teaching quality benefits all students and has a particularly positive effect on children eligible for the Pupil Premium.’ |
3 |
Enhancement of our maths teaching and curriculum planning in line with DfE and EEF guidance.
We will fund teacher release time to embed key elements of guidance in school and to access Maths Hub (GNMH) resources. Focused training on mathematical fluency and multiplication. |
The DfE non-statutory guidance has been produced in conjunction with the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM), drawing on evidence-based approaches:
Maths_guidance_KS_1_and_2.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk) EEF: |
3 |
Targeted academic support (for example, tutoring, one-to-one support structured interventions)
Budgeted cost: £39,490 towards cost of 3 TAs to provide 1:1 or 1:2 support.
Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
Small group and 1-1 targeted support through Thrive individual and small group programmes.
SEND processes and procedures have been reviewed to provide structured targeted support impacting groups and individuals. |
In addition to our whole school approach, evidence base suggests that some children require more personalised programmes in order to maximise impact. We have set up a Thrive Hive classroom to facilitate this.
Whole class profiling has led to detailed action planning for groups and individuals, addressing interruptions in development, supporting positive behaviour through activities such as social stories, co-regulation and lending your thinking brain. Provision is being adapted where necessary and appropriate, meeting the needs of all learners. |
1,2,3 |
Small groups to support core skill acquisition, social and emotional development and readiness to learn. | EEF:
Improving Social and Emotional Learning in Primary Schools We are still finding that a number of children across the school, particularly our disadvantaged pupils, need quite a structured approach to support their social and emotional needs. In some cases, whole year group and whole class referrals to inclusion and behaviour support and short term interventions have had to be implemented to support the children. Alongside this, we ensure that they have full access to their curriculum entitlement.. |
1,2,3 |
Embed and strengthen reading success across the school
Strengthen and embed whole school teaching of phonics, a non negotiable focus on phonics, with rigorous assessment, tracking and teaching Focus upon closing the gap for the lowest 20% readers Embed the reading programme ‘Reading Plus’ for Year 3 pupils Embed reciprocal reading for Year 4 Pupils Introduce spellzone across KS2 to support gaps in learning |
Although most children are able readers by the time they reach Year 3, some, particularly the disadvantaged group, need more focus on fluency and comprehension.
EEF – ‘There is very extensive evidence to support the use of a systematic phonics programme with pupils in Key Stage 1. The goal is to improve the fluency (speed) as well as accuracy of pupils’ decoding to the point that it becomes automatic and does not require conscious effort.’ EEF – ‘Support pupils to develop fluent reading capabilities’Fluent readers can read quickly, accurately, and with appropriate stress and intonation. Fluent reading supports comprehension because pupils’ cognitive resources are freed from focusing on word recognition and can be redirected towards comprehending the text. This can be developed through:
EEF: |
3 |
Increase life experiences for children in receipt of the pupil premium beyond their home and local community to eliminate a disadvantage in their ‘cultural capital’. | Character Education
To support this we will: Introduce fun foodie sessions to focus upon life skills, hygiene, health and safety, eatwell plate,etc. Provide yoga sessions to develop a positive mindset, mental health, fitness and breathing. Introduce debating club providing children with opportunities to meet peers/staff and academy councillors to discuss topical issues, supporting and extending their knowledge of the wonder world. Introduce art club to allow children opportunities to express themselves and their feelings through a variety of media. Introduce sports club to strengthen importance of health and fitness, success beyond academic categories, mental health, being part of a team, resilience and determination. Re-introduction of Year 4 residential trip (cancelled in last 3 years due to Covid-19). |
1,2,3,4 |
Wider strategies (for example, related to attendance, behaviour, wellbeing)
Behaviour interventions will be funded from within the budget
Activity | Evidence that supports this approach | Challenge number(s) addressed |
Children are provided with experiences and opportunities to develop skills which will support their personal development by embedding effective, purposeful wider opportunities across the curriculum, in order to further develop children’s knowledge and breadth of vocabulary. | The EEF toolkit suggests that from wider involvement in the arts, improved outcomes have been identified in English, mathematics and science learning. Wider benefits on attitudes to learning and wellbeing have also consistently been reported.
Participating in sports and physical activity is also likely to have wider health and social benefits. Further evidence taken from the EEF’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit supports that collaborative learning through such experiences have a consistently positive impact on pupils. These actions will therefore support with addressing the barriers to learning that are linked to poor fine and gross motor skills, poor fitness and diet and children’s low self-efficacy attributes |
1,2,3,4 |
Continue to support the individual needs of all of our children by developing consistently strong practice across school, including those early in their career, in managing the behaviour of pupils with specific needs, resulting in an improvement in teacher confidence and knowledge.
Detailed planned assemblies which provide children with opportunities to broaden and enhance their curriculum experiences, support their personal development and acceptance and understanding of the wider world. They will learn more about British values and develop their own opinions. Development and enhancement of outdoor learning through the effective use of the outdoor education centre, providing essential life skills beyond the classroom Planned collaborative work with a school from the Trust,which provides children with opportunities to experience life beyond their class and school, preparing them for future experiences |
Improving behaviour in schools (EEF 2019) identifies strategies to support and understand children’s behaviours and recognises that classroom management alongside adapting individual approaches for high needs children are just some ways – based upon evidence of improving behaviour and therefore outcomes. The teaching and learning toolkit recognises that behaviour interventions can improve progress by up to 3 months.
Behaviour in Schools – Advice for Headteachers and School Staff 2022 Our behaviour policy has been re-written to reflect this guidance. A whole school approach to teaching behaviour (Tom Bennett “Running the Room”), and in addition, restorative practice and recognition (Paul Dix “When the Adults Change..”) also form part of our research base in shaping behaviour practice in school. |
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Contingency fund for acute issues | Based on our experiences we have identified a need to set a small amount of funding aside to respond quickly and effectively to needs that have not yet been identified. This year we have funded this from our general budget. |
Total budgeted cost: £54,382
Part B: Review of outcomes in the previous academic year
Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils
This details the impact that our pupil premium activity had on pupils in the 2021 to 2022 academic year.
Phonics
As a school a greater emphasis has been placed on the teaching and assessment of phonics. Staff refresher training has begun and will be rolled out throughout the next academic year. An audit of resources has been carried out and our focus will be on addressing the gaps. SHARE meetings across the year have informed parents on the importance of phonics and the home school link has been enhanced as a result, with parents having a greater understanding of how to support, encourage and challenge children appropriately at home. Reading for pleasure Our ‘Reading for Pleasure’ lead provided advice and guidance for staff regarding book choice and teaching texts. ‘Must reads’ have been added to our whole school English planning; these are progressive and provide a balance within year groups and across the school. They have been selected to meet our curriculum drivers and have had a very positive impact across the school, particularly on storytimes. The children and staff are enjoying this renewed, rigorous focus. Reading Plus and reciprocal reading are in place in Key Stage 2 and have undoubtedly enhanced the provision for the children by developing their fluency and comprehension. SHARE meetings across the year have informed parents on the importance of reading for pleasure and the home school link has been enhanced as a result, with parents having a greater understanding of how to support, encourage and challenge children at home. We have had a greater emphasis upon reading outdoors and while this needs to be continued it is already having a positive impact. Maths mastery We have continued to take part in the mastery programme through Great North Maths Hub for the past 3 years and we are about to enter the fourth year. The children, particularly disadvantaged and SEND groups, are finding this approach of great benefit to their understanding, fluency and problem solving skills in maths. As a result, we are now really seeing the benefits of the mastery approach; the children love maths, can talk about it with knowledge and understanding, and they can apply what they have learned. This is reflected in very strong outcomes for the children. In Early Years staff are more knowledgeable about the small steps of learning that are involved within each objective and we are seeing that understanding transferred through teaching, activities and resources for children. We have also seen an increased level of staff subject knowledge, particularly in breaking down small steps and consolidating essential learning and understanding. We have also begun to develop fluency in multiplication skills which we will be continuing in the next academic year. Thrive We have two members of staff successfully trained as Thrive Practitioners. They have continued to disseminate CPD (professional development/training) to the staff team and the whole school approach to embedding Thrive is ongoing. This brought significant benefits to the children, particularly in supporting their well-being and self-regulation during times of huge disruption. Our adoption of the Zones of Regulation also supports this approach and when combined with Thrive, we find this to be a powerful resource to support the children (and staff). The Thrive Lead within school has carried out some work introducing ‘Brain Science’ into our curriculum, making links with science and PHSE for children. This has had a positive effect on helping children to understand their brains, their bodies and the links with behaviour and emotions. Subject Leadership Curriculum development has enhanced the universal offer we have and although we accept that we will always seek to improve and adapt to need; leaders have produced a curriculum that provides a level playing field for all learners. Within each curriculum subject we have a focus on progression. We are also focusing on vocabulary and starting each unit of learning with prior learning, what the children know and remember, using a Flashback 4 activity to recall learning from previous sessions; all of these strategies are having an impact and while we acknowledge that they need consolidating they are supporting us in closing the gap for our disadvantaged pupils. Small group and 1-1 interventions Obviously numbers of pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, varied in school during the periods of lockdown. Once school opened more widely, small group and 1:1 interventions became more viable and we are continuing to focus on this. Focus was given to gaps in phonics, stamina for writing and pre-teaching in maths and this has been very successful. We have continued to address the needs of all children through quality first teaching. The Covid-19 recovery budget was spent on the tutoring programme, helping to close the gap for disadvantaged children. We have also benefited from using programs and schemes which are helping us address gaps in learning, (for example, Times Tables Rock Stars). Health and well-being for pupils and staff Thrive and Zones of Regulation massively supported the children during lockdown and we are continuing to see the positive impact. Staff and children are now using the vocabulary of ‘I wonder, I notice, I imagine’ giving reassurance to the children who felt that their concerns and actions were being understood. We reviewed marking and feedback once again, removing the need for any written feedback, much preferring ‘in the moment’ and instant feedback. Much more effective and manageable. The Abbeyfields Well-Being Plan continued to support both pupil and staff well-being through a variety of actions such as a reduction of staff meeting times and re introduction of fun days, visitors in school, theme weeks, trips and visits, including our residential trip in Year 4 after a 3 year break due to Covid-19.. Attendance/punctuality Needless to say, parents are still apprehensive about illness as a result of Covid-19 and are therefore sometimes overly cautious about keeping children at home if they show any small signs of being unwell. We did see a rise in leave of absence requests due to ‘life returning to normal’ and families making the most of meeting family and visiting overseas once again. |
Externally provided programmes
Please include the names of any non-DfE programmes that you purchased in the previous academic year. This will help the Department for Education identify which ones are popular in England
Programme | Provider |
Thrive Approach | Thrive |
Additional Thrive CPD for two licensed practitioners | Thrive |
Reading Plus Adaptive Reading Programme | Reading Plus/DreamBox |
Read Write Inc | RWI Phonics – Ruth Miskin |
Oxford Owl | Oxford Owl |
Talk for Writing | Pie Corbett – Talk for Writing |
Times Table Rock Stars | Times Tables Rock Stars |
Jigsaw PHSE programme | Jigsaw |
Dynamo Maths Assessment and Intervention | Dynamo maths |
SpellZone programme | Spellzone Ltd |
Further information (optional)
Additional activity
Our pupil premium strategy this academic year will be supplemented by additional activity that is not being funded by pupil premium or recovery premium. This will include:
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Updated: December 2022