Pupil Premium and Recovery Strategy

What is the Pupil Premium?

Pupil premium is funding allocated from the government to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in schools in England. Pupil Premium funding is to specifically assist children who fall into at least one of the following groups:

Schools are free to spend the allocated funds as they deem most appropriate to support eligible pupils’ attainment and education. At Accrington Academy, we allocate funding based on an understanding of individual pupils needs, local context and evidence-based research.

The Education Endowment Fund has developed research led approaches to help schools identify the best strategies to ensure students in receipt of Pupil Premium funding achieve their highest standards. These can be seen here. This report has been taken into consideration when planning and reviewing the Pupil premium strategy each academic year.

Following the impact of Covid-19 and school closures, the Department for Education has amalgamated the strategies of Pupil Premium, Year 7 Catch up and Recovery.

Our Pupil Premium and Recovery strategy statement can be accessed through link below and is reviewed termly. The statement clarifies our current funding allocation and reviews the impact of last years spending to support the progress, achievement and well-being of eligible pupils.

The Education Endowment Fund (EEF) reviews educational research, one focus is making a difference to pupils’ progress. Their work is widely recognised and recommended as an outstanding source of information. Their toolkit can be used to provide guidance on strategies that are shown to be effective. Several other institutions have also researched the challenges facing students from disadvantaged families. These publications include reports from: The Sutton Trust (Cracking the Code) and The Fair Education Alliance

Many of the report’s findings are common knowledge among schools. They include statements that are relevant to Accrington Academy:

• Low income students make on average half a GCSE grade less progress in Attainment 8 subjects.
• Low-income White British groups make the least progress.
• Pupils’ achievement is linked to commitment to independent study and low income parents are less likely to be able to help with this given the more complex secondary curriculum.
• SEND and mental health are particularly likely to adversely affect progress. These factors are also more likely to affect low-income pupils.
• Low-income students are four times more likely to be permanently excluded.
• Academically enriching activities may help to support attitudes to school and learning but low-income pupils are less likely to participate.
• Disadvantaged students are four times less likely to attend a high tariff university than their peers.
• The gap in literacy and numeracy levels at the end of primary education is 8.2 months.
• Pupils achieve less well in schools which neglect to prioritise KS3 progress.

The reports encourage schools to invest in best practice, which includes the following points:

• Promote quality first teaching to ensure literacy and numeracy gaps are closed.
• Provide students with a broad educational experience.
• Promote skills that enable self-supported study.
• Low-income pupils will benefit from peer group effects in outstanding schools.
• Attainment will frequently precede aspirations.
• Ensure good attendance records of disadvantaged students.
• Promote the high profile of disadvantaged students
• Pupil progress is highest in outstanding schools with high expectations.

By referring to research undertaken by the authors of these publications and by regularly referring to research published by the EEF, we are confident that our planning for the removal of barriers for disadvantaged students is effective. Strategies from previous academic years are evaluated to ensure that resources are deployed where they can have maximum impact.