The Pupil Premium is an allocation of additional funding provided to schools to support specific groups of children who are vulnerable to possible underachievement. These include students who are entitled to free school meals (FSM); those looked after by the local authority; those adopted from care; those who have left care under a Special Guardianship or Residence Order and children of armed service personnel. The intended effect of this funding is to accelerate progress and raise attainment.

Pupil Premium funds are clearly identifiable in the school’s funding and are calculated per FSM student. It is for the school to decide how best to use this funding since we are best placed to assess what additional provision is required for individual students.

School Vision

Academic Excellence and Personal Success is at the heart of everything we do at Weald. The targeted and strategic use of Pupil Premium will support us in achieving this vision for all students.

Principles

We ensure that teaching and learning opportunities meet the needs of all students. We make appropriate provision is made for students who belong to vulnerable groups, this includes ensuring that the needs of socially disadvantaged students are adequately assessed and addressed. We recognise that not all students who are socially disadvantaged are registered to qualify for FSM.

Pupil Premium funding will be allocated following a needs analysis which will identify priority classes, groups or individuals. Limited funding and resources means that not all students receiving FSM will be in receipt of Pupil Premium interventions at one time.

Objectives

Our objectives for spending the Pupil Premium are to raise attainment of students to achieve at least in line with the rest of the cohort.

Provision

• Providing free of charge revision sessions and Easter workshops to raise attainment levels.
• Resources & equipment provided for FSM students.
• Providing all Technology & Art materials & other consumables so that FSM families are not disadvantaged in the learning & making of products.
• Providing a range of interventions and support such as one to one literacy support, social communication groups, spelling groups and access to diagnostic testing.
• Uniform items purchased & provided for some students to ensure they can attend in the correct uniform.
• Uniform loan system in place for students struggling on certain days.
• One to One counselling services to help improve SEMH (Social, Emotional & Mental Health) difficulties.
• Hardship Fund to enable identified individuals to enjoy opportunities such as cultural and enriching experiences, education visits and extracurricular activities. This fund also helps students with purchasing ICT or specific equipment.
• Visits to Universities, Colleges subsidised to encourage students & raise aspirations – FSM students targeted and supported.
• Water provided for all students in the Public examinations.
• Personalised learning and classroom approaches such as:
• Utilising Thinking Schools methodologies (appendix 2)
• Providing effective feedback on students’ performance
• Encouraging students to think about their own learning strategies
• Students learning from each other including Peer Mentoring
• AfL (Assessment for Learning)
• Parental involvement
• Raising expectations and self-belief

Pupil Premium Priorities 2020 – 2021

For full details, please refer to our Pupil Premium Policy.

Our Intent

The core priority for the Weald of Kent in relation to our disadvantaged students is to ensure that differences are diminished, gaps are closed and each individual student is supported to achieve their potential and realise academic excellence and personal success.

Specific Priorities for Implementation

1. The PPG is to be used to ensure the provision of free of charge intervention sessions both within school time and the school holidays that are run by subject specialist staff, in order to raise the levels of attainment and support the progress of all disadvantaged students.
2. The PPG is to be used to ensure that all disadvantaged students have any necessary curriculum resources, or equipment provided for them.
3. The PPG is to be used to ensure the provision of any necessary individual learning support via Student Services, or external providers, including diagnostic testing, as required by any disadvantaged students.
4. The PPG is to be used to support the purchase of any necessary specific uniform items where appropriate.
5. The PPG is to be used to support the provision of one-to-one counselling support to improve SEMH for our disadvantaged students and the wider school community.
6. The PPG is to be used to increase the ‘cultural capital’ of our disadvantaged students allowing them to access a wide range of extra-curricular activities including: culturally enriching visits, educational visits and extra-curricular activities.
7. The PPG is to be used to support social mobility and access to University and College visits for our disadvantaged students.
8. The PPG is to be used to support the training of our Peer Mentor scheme to benefit both our disadvantaged students and the wider school community.

The PPG is to be used to ensure that all students enter their public examinations hydrated and nourished in order to ensure they are physically prepared for them.