Harbottle C of E (Aided) First School – Pupil premium information
Pupil premium provides the school with extra funding. It is given 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 pupil premium grant is designed to allow schools to help these pupils by improving their progress and the exam results they achieve. 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 child will be assessed and planned for accordingly.
What is the most effective way to support disadvantaged pupils’ achievement?
Taken from supporting the attainment of disadvantaged pupils, by Department for Education
- Whole school ethos of attainment for all
Schools has an ethos of high attainment for all pupils. They view each pupil as an individual and consciously avoid stereotyping disadvantaged pupils by referring to them as a group – they never assume that all disadvantaged pupils face similar barriers or have less potential to succeed.
- Addressing behaviour and attendance
Schools make sure they have really effective behaviour strategies: communicating simple, clear rules and training all staff in behaviour management. They also have strong social and emotional support strategies to help pupils in need of additional support, including through working with their families.
- High quality teaching for all
Schools emphasise the importance of ‘quality teaching first’. They aim to provide a consistently high standard, through setting expectations, monitoring performance, tailoring teaching and support to suit their pupils and sharing best practice.
- Meeting individual learning needs
Schools see pupils as individuals, each with their own challenges, talents and interests. Staff work to identify what might help each pupil make the next steps in their learning, whether they are performing below, at, or above expectations. They focus on providing targeted support for under-performing pupils during curriculum time (as well as providing learning support outside school hours). They seek out strategies best suited to addressing individual needs, rather than simply fitting pupils into their existing support strategies. Schools provide both individual support for pupils that have very specific learning needs, and group support for pupils with similar needs.
- Deploying staff effectively
Schools identify the strengths of each member of staff and find the best ways to use them. They are quick to spot potential and ‘grow their own staff’. They devolve as much responsibility as possible to frontline staff and deploy their best teachers to work with pupils who need the most support. They ensure that teaching assistants (TAs) are well trained in supporting pupils’ learning as well as in specific learning interventions, so TAs can provide effective support to individual pupils or small groups. They also ensure strong teamwork between teachers and support staff.
- Data driven and responding to evidence
Schools use data to identify pupils’ learning needs at every opportunity – when pupils join the school, during regular reviews of progress and during day-to-day teaching. They review progress every few weeks, spot any signs of underperformance and address them quickly. Teachers engage with the data themselves: they input, analyse and use it to underpin their teaching. Pupils are given time to review their feedback and discuss their progress with teachers.
- Clear, responsive leadership
Senior leaders ensure that staff are willing to do whatever it takes to help each pupil to succeed. They hold every staff member accountable for pupils’ progress. They train staff to provide high quality feedback to pupils and adopt the same approach themselves when providing feedback to staff.
Pupil Premium Strategy Statement 2025
Might you be eligible?
If you think you may be entitled, you can also apply online.
