Pupil Premium

Pupil Premium is additional funding provided to publicly funded schools in England to help improve the educational outcomes of disadvantaged pupils and reduce the attainment gap between them and their peers.

The amount of Pupil Premium funding a school receives is determined by the number of eligible pupils. This includes children who are currently eligible for Free School Meals, or who have been eligible at any point during the previous six years.

Schools are required to publish information about their Pupil Premium funding, including how the funding is used and the impact it has on improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

For further information about Pupil Premium funding, please visit the Department for Education website.

What does this mean for our school?

At Stechford Primary School, we have high aspirations and ambitions for every child. We firmly believe that a child’s background or circumstances should never be a barrier to achievement, opportunity or future success.

To support our disadvantaged pupils in overcoming barriers to learning and enable them to be happy, confident and successful, we are guided by the following principles:

• We promote a whole-school culture of high aspiration and achievement for all, ensuring that staff communicate positive and ambitious expectations to our disadvantaged pupils.
• We have high expectations of everyone, from everyone. We recognise that disadvantaged pupils are individuals and avoid making assumptions that they all experience the same barriers to learning or have less potential to succeed.
• We promote positive and resilient attitudes to learning, encouraging pupils to develop confidence, perseverance and a belief in their ability to achieve their full potential.
• We maintain an unwavering focus on high-quality teaching and learning, recognising that excellent classroom practice is fundamental to improving outcomes for all pupils, particularly those experiencing disadvantage.
• We ensure that appropriate and personalised provision is available for pupils eligible for Pupil Premium funding. Barriers to learning are identified carefully so that pupils' educational, social and emotional needs can be accurately assessed and effectively supported.
• We deploy staff and resources effectively to support pupils who need additional help. Appropriate professional development and training are provided to ensure staff have the knowledge and skills required to meet pupils' needs.
• We have clear systems for monitoring and supporting behaviour and attendance. Where attendance is a barrier to learning, this is identified and addressed as a priority.
• Teachers and leaders use assessment information carefully to identify pupils' needs, monitor progress and evaluate the impact of support. Where pupils are at risk of falling behind, appropriate intervention and additional support are put in place.
• We recognise the vital role of parents and carers and seek to engage and empower families to support their children's education, attendance, wellbeing and progress.
• We provide opportunities for Pupil Premium-eligible pupils to participate fully in the wider life of the school, including enrichment and extra-curricular activities, as well as classroom and school-wide responsibilities. We believe these opportunities help develop confidence and strengthen pupils' sense of belonging within our school community.
• We aim to develop an enduring love of learning in every pupil through strong foundations in English and mathematics alongside a broad, ambitious and engaging curriculum that develops knowledge, skills, experiences and interests.

Statement of Intent

At Stechford Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive, achieve and succeed.

Our school values of CARE: Challenge, Achieve, Resilience and Encourage underpin our approach. They guide the actions of pupils and staff and support our ambition to provide an education that develops children's knowledge, character, talents and abilities, preparing them to participate confidently and successfully in their community and wider society.

All staff understand that improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils is a collective responsibility. We aim to inspire and engage pupils in their learning, set ambitious expectations and provide the encouragement, support and opportunities they need to succeed.

Through our ambitious and engaging curriculum, we seek to ensure that all pupils, including those experiencing disadvantage, make strong progress and achieve the best possible educational outcomes.

We recognise that high-quality teaching is the most important element of our approach to tackling educational disadvantage. For this reason, high-quality teaching sits at the heart of our Pupil Premium Strategy. Our focus on excellent teaching, carefully targeted academic support and appropriate wider strategies is intended to benefit disadvantaged pupils while also supporting improved outcomes for all pupils.

We also recognise that children need to be ready to learn. Where pupils experience social, emotional or mental health needs, difficulties with attendance, family circumstances or other barriers that affect their engagement with education, we seek to identify these needs early and provide appropriate support.

Our approach is responsive rather than based on assumptions about disadvantage. We use assessment, professional knowledge and our understanding of individual children and families to identify barriers and determine the support that is most likely to make a positive difference.

Our Pupil Premium Strategy brings these approaches together so that funding is used purposefully to remove barriers, raise aspirations, improve educational outcomes and create opportunities for our disadvantaged pupils.

Free School Meals and Pupil Premium

If you think your child may be eligible for Free School Meals, we strongly encourage you to apply, even if your child does not intend to have a school meal.

Registering an eligible child for Free School Meals can also help the school access valuable Pupil Premium funding. This additional funding enables us to provide further educational opportunities, resources and support for eligible pupils.

Please visit our School Meals page for further information about eligibility and how to apply.