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.
The total budgeted cost is £89,000.
School overview
School name
Cherry Orchard Primary Academy
Number of pupils in school
418 (excluding preschool)
Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils
14%
Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers (3 year plans are recommended)
2022-23
Date this statement was published
September 2022
Date on which it will be reviewed
September 2023
Statement authorised by
Julie Forsythe
Pupil premium lead
Sandra Foxwell
Governor / Trustee lead
Rundeep Bahia
Funding overview
Detail
Amount
Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year
£80,000
Recovery premium funding allocation this academic year
£9,000
Pupil premium funding carried forward from previous years (enter £0 if not applicable)
£0
Total budget for this academic yea
£89,000
part a: pupil premium strategy plan
Statement of intent
At Cherry Orchard Primary Academy (COPA), we believe that every pupil can and will make progress and that deprivation should never be a barrier to their learning. We set the most challenging targets for every child, and all our pupils are valued, challenged and supported to make sustained academic and personal progress whilst with us at COPA.
We intend that all pupils are in school everyday to receive high quality teaching and learning and that transportation or difficulties getting children into school should not be a barrier for disadvantaged pupils in being part of a holistic education that equips them socially, emotionally and academically for their next step in education beyond primary education.
We strive to use the Pupil Premium to address gaps in learning for those disadvantaged pupils affected by the pandemic, and who, for other reasons, are behind in their maths or reading skills so that the building blocks to learning are in place, leading to a successful primary education.
Challenges
This details the key challenges to achievement that we have identified among our disadvantaged pupils.
Challenge number
Detail of challenge
1
Persistent absence for disadvantaged children is higher than for non-disadvantaged pupils
2
Access to out of school experiences and extra-curricular activities for disadvantaged pupils
3
Lost maths learning due to school closures and lack of engagement in online learning has impacted acquisition of necessary early number skills and building blocks in maths
4
Lack of regular reading opportunities needed to increase fluency and comprehension to access the curriculum.
5
Missed learning opportunities in school for disadvantaged pupils in Year 1 (whilst they were in preschool/year R) due to the pandemic (22-23 Year 2)
6
Increased number of children being affected by anxiety and mental health issues following lockdown with an impact on their well-being and ability to engage in their learning. Long waiting lists to receive professional mental health support.
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
Persistent absence of disadvantaged children is significantly reduced.
Reduce the percentage of disadvantaged pupils with persistent absence down so that it is more in line with non-disadvantaged pupils
Access to out of school experiences and extra-curricular activities for disadvantaged pupils
At least 60% of disadvantaged children have accessed at least 1 activity club during the course of the year.
All disadvantaged pupils have the opportunity to take part in co curricular activities including off site visits and residential trips
Pupil gaps in maths are significantly reduced and early maths skills are acquired.
Disadvantaged children have accessed targeted interventions that have allowed for gaps to be addressed and progress made in maths.
Children experience regular reading opportunities through their time in school; TAs are equipped to deliver high quality phonics and reading interventions.
Reading fluency, comprehension and a love of reading for disadvantaged pupils has increased, allowing children to have greater access and understanding of the wider curriculum. TAs deliver high quality phonics and reading interventions that have seen pupils make significant progress.
Disadvantaged children in Year 1 catch up, access and progress successfully through the Year 1 curriculum; and are able to interact socially.
All disadvantaged children in Year 1 have made significant progress in their academic and social skills by the end of Year 1.
Children across the whole school have quick access to a professional counsellor placed within the school to ensure that their mental health needs are met or signposted to relevant professionals
Children know that they are able to talk to someone in the school about worries.
Children get to see a professional counsellor in good time
Children’s well being improves allowing them to enjoy school and learning fully.
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: £15,000
Activity
Evidence that supports this approach
Challenge number(s) addressed
An extensive range of online CPD opportunities accessible to all staff through TT Education
Supporting high quality teaching is pivotal in improving children’s outcomes. Indeed, research tells us that high quality teaching can narrow the disadvantage gap. (EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit)
3, 4 & 5
Implementation of Forest School Training, including resources
The impact of collaborative approaches on learning is consistently positive, with pupils making an additional 5 months’ progress, on average, over the course of an academic year. Most of the positive approaches include the promotion of talk and interaction between learners. (EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit)
Peer tutoring approaches have been shown to have a positive impact on learning, with an average positive effect equivalent to approximately five additional months’ progress within one academic year. (EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit)
2, 5 & 6
CPD for teachers and teaching assistants to support pupils effectively within interventions and in the classroom for all pupils.
The high average impact hides a large variation between the different approaches to teaching assistant deployment. Targeted deployment, where teaching assistants are trained to deliver an intervention to small groups or individuals has a higher impact.(EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit)
3, 4 & 5
Reading support for pupils through the employment of a reading champion librarian who understands the reading system (Accelerated Reader) to support pupils’ rapid progress in and love of reading.
The use of Accelerated Reader as a tool to improve fluency and comprehension at the right level.
Fluent reading supports comprehension because pupils’ cognitive resources are freed from focusing on word recognition and can be redirected towards comprehending the text. Rapid provision of support is important, but it is critical to ensure it is the right support. Diagnostic assessment can be used to inform professional judgement about the best next steps. Diagnostic assessment makes teaching more efficient by ensuring that effort is not wasted on rehearsing skills or content that a pupil already knows well. (EEF Guidance reports)
3, 4 & 5
Targeted academic support (for example, tutoring, one-to-one support structured interventions)
Budgeted cost: £39,000
Activity
Evidence that supports this approach
Challenge number(s) addressed
Before and after school interventions in phonics/reading at KS1/2
Phonics is a ‘high impact’ activity with Teaching Assistant led interventions being ‘moderate’ interventions (EEF Teacher Toolkit); Professional development should be used to raise the quality of practitioners’ knowledge of mathematics, of children’s mathematical development, and of effective mathematical pedagogy.(EEF Guidance Reports)
The key is to ensure that learning in interventions is consistent with, and extends, work inside the classroom and that pupils understand the links between them. (EEF Guidance Reports)
3, 4 & 5
Before and after school interventions in maths at KS2
Seize chances to reinforce mathematical vocabulary.Create opportunities for extended discussion of mathematical ideas with children. Teaching builds on what children already know; It is important to assess what children do, and do not, know in order to extend learning for all children. (Interventions are addressing gaps identified through teaching); (EEF Guidance Reports).
Professional development should be used to raise the quality of practitioners’ knowledge of mathematics, of children’s mathematical development, and of effective mathematical pedagogy. (EEF Guidance Reports)
3 & 4
Nurture Group run to support the social and emotional needs, allowing disadvantaged pupils to make academic progress in KS1
Improving Social and Emotional Learning in Primary Schools reviews the best available research to offer school leaders six practical recommendations to support good SEL for all children. It stresses this is especially important for children from disadvantaged backgrounds and other vulnerable groups, who, on average, have weaker SEL skills at all ages than their better-off classmates. Evidence from the EEF’s Teaching and Learning Toolkit suggests that effective SEL can lead to learning gains of +4 months over the course of a year.
3, 4 & 5
Wider strategies (for example, related to attendance, behaviour, wellbeing)
Budgeted cost: £35,000
Activity
Evidence that supports this approach
Challenge number(s) addressed
Mini Bus to improve attendance and punctuality of identified students
Evidence has highlighted that not only is there a negative association between attendance rates and attainment , but that the association is particularly strong compared to all other factors introduced.
(Being Present, the Power of Attendance and Stability for Pupil Premium Pupils; NFER; 2019)
1
Support for disadvantaged students to attend after school clubs to increase attendance
Evidence has highlighted that not only is there a negative association between attendance rates and attainment , but that the association is particularly strong compared to all other factors introduced.
(Being Present, the Power of Attendance and Stability for Pupil Premium Pupils; NFER; 2019)
1 & 2
Part-fund costs for pupils in receipt of pupil premium for extra curricular activities and co-curricular opportunities
A large body of research exists that addresses the role of extra-curricular activities on a range of cognitive and noncognitive outcomes.
(An Unequal Playing Field: Extra-Curricular Activities, Soft Skills and Social Mobility; Social Mobility Commission; 2019)
2
22-23 – Employment of a Place2Be school counsellor to be able to meet the growing mental health needs within the school community.
The average impact of successful SEL interventions is an additional four months’ progress over the course of a year. Alongside academic outcomes, SEL interventions have an identifiable and valuable impact on attitudes to learning and social relationships in school. (EEF Toolkit)
6
part b: review of outcomes in the previous academic year
pupil premium strategy outcomes
This details the impact that our pupil premium activity had on pupils in the 2021 to 2022 academic year. Additional details can be seen in the original 2021-22 PPG Statement.
The achievements for disadvantaged pupils in the end of Key Stage 2 data achieving the expected standard was higher than national across in most areas, including combined.The gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils was closer in most areas, including combined than national. The achievements for disadvantaged pupils in the end of Key Stage 1 data were above those within our local authority for reading, writing, maths and combined. In Year 1 Phonics screening,
Teaching has been supported through the provision of TT Education and National Online Safety resources. This has been used by subject leads and staff to further develop expertise. Training has been given in person by TT Education on delivering the curriculum, which has enhanced pedagogical skills for both teachers and teaching assistants. Read Write Inc and Fresh Start training has been given to teachers and teaching assistants to support pupils with the acquisition of phonics and writing skills. A librarian was employed to ensure the successful setting up of an extensive range of books across the school, he promoted his love of reading and ran a reading club. Accelerated Reader has allowed pupils to access high quality texts that are at the correct level for developing reading fluency and language acquisition. This tool has allowed teachers to assess regularly and to monitor engagement and progression in reading.
During this academic year, targeted academic support has been given through the provision of interventions before and after school, CPD to support teaching assistants delivery of interventions, and a nurture group to allow disadvantaged pupils to receive social and emotional support, ensuring that they can access the curriculum and make progress. This has been beneficial to these pupils and will continue in 22-23 to allow for momentum of impact of this provision to continue. The catch up interventions that were run after school targeted disadvantaged pupils within each year group. Teachers worked with parents to encourage the attendance of these pupils, speaking positively of the impact on learning that they were seeing in lessons.
Last year, the use of the new mini bus supported disadvantaged pupils in extra and co-curricular activities. 15 disadvantaged families took advantage of the financial support of extra and co-curricular trips, including visits to the theatre, zoo, local school farm and a residential visit. In 2021-22 the persistent absence for disadvantaged pupils was 33% in term 1 with a decrease to 23% in term 6. The attendance for PP pupils overall last year was 92.8% for PPG pupils compared to 94.6% for all pupils. In terms of persistent absence PPG pupils were 26.4% compared to 13.9% for non-PPG pupils. Attendance for all children, including those not entitled to PPG, has not fully recovered since COVID lockdown and this is a focus on our APA this year. The employment of a mini bus driver took time due to a lack of takeup of the position. We now have a member of staff on role who will be driving the minibus in the mornings to collect pupils who are persistently absent. This is part of our 22-23 provision to ensure that the attendance of our disadvantaged pupils is increased, allowing for greater progress to be made.
Further Information
This academic year we are keen to ensure that pupils across all year groups, and particularly those disadvantaged pupils, experience an enriched curriculum. By this we mean providing opportunities which perhaps would not always be part of a standard curriculum through the use of specialist teachers/resources or additional staffing to facilitate small group activities such as outdoor learning and cooking. This is very much a work in progress but will be a major part of our work this year and,as such, is one of the Next Steps on this year’s Academy Performance Agreement (APA). The Enhanced Curriculum Overview details the opportunities and specialist teaching we are planning to put in place.