Detail

Data

School name

Roger Ascham Primary School

Number of pupils in school

397

Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils

29%

Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers (3 year plans are recommended)

2023/24 - 

2026/2027

Date this statement was published

September 2023

Date on which it will be reviewed

September 2024

Statement authorised by

Matthew Hanks, Headteacher

Pupil premium lead

Matthew Hanks Headteacher

Governor / Trustee lead

Kelly-Anne Smith-Sinclair

Detail

Amount

Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year

£167,325

Recovery premium funding allocation this academic year

£ 16, 675

Pupil premium funding carried forward from previous years 

0

Total budget for this academic year

£184 000

Challenge number

Detail of challenge

1

Observations and discussions with pupils indicate underdeveloped oral language skills and vocabulary gaps among many disadvantaged pupils. These gaps are more noticeable among our EAL and disadvantaged pupils than their peers.

2

Assessments show a gap in achievement in writing between our disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils. While headline figures for the two groups are relatively close in both KS1 and KS2; numbers of pupils writing at a greater depth are lower for disadvantaged pupils in both key stages. Numbers of pupils making accelerated progress from the expected level to greater depth are also lower among disadvantaged pupils.

3

Numbers of disadvantaged pupils and families receiving pastoral and multi-agency support are higher than non-disadvantaged peers. We shall continue to commit a high-level of funding to our excellent pastoral and therapeutic provision and in response to increased need, expand the number of hours available to delivering high quality pastoral care.

4

The recent, continuing change in demographic in the local area suggests a widening gap in life experience between our (increasingly affluent) non-disadvantaged families and their disadvantaged peers. The school will continue to promote local holiday activity programmes to our disadvantaged families, prioritizing the most vulnerable. We shall continue to heavily subsidize enrichment activities (such as trips and residential visits) to make them available to all our families.

5

Our attendance data since lockdown shows that attendance among disadvantaged pupils is lower than for non-disadvantaged pupils.

Absenteeism is negatively impacting disadvantaged pupils’ progress.

Intended outcome

Success criteria

Improved oral language skills and vocabulary among disadvantaged pupils.

A whole school approach to speaking and listening enables all pupils to better express their thoughts and ideas in a variety of contexts for a variety of purposes and demonstrates their understanding of the school’s approach to developing thinking skills.

Improved writing achievement among disadvantaged pupils.

KS2 writing outcomes in 2024/25 and beyond show a steady increase in the number of disadvantaged pupils writing at greater depth.

Maintain current high levels of achievement  in reading, writing and maths.

National assessment data continues to be significantly above national averages. Maintain the current picture of our disadvantaged pupils outperforming the national average for all pupils.

To sustain high levels of wellbeing for all pupils in our school, particularly our disadvantaged pupils.

Sustained high levels of wellbeing from 2024/25 demonstrated by:

• qualitative data from student voice, student and parent surveys and teacher observations
• levels of participation in enrichment activities are equally high among disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils   
•  

To achieve and sustain improved attendance for all pupils, particularly our disadvantaged pupils.

Improved attendance from 2024/25 onwards demonstrated by:

• the overall absence rate for all pupils being no more than the national average.
• the attendance of pupils significantly improves (from being PA to being no longer PA) among the significant majority of pupils whose families are supported by (and engage with) the pastoral team.

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge addressed

Embedding speaking and listening activities across the school curriculum. These can support pupils to articulate key ideas, consolidate understanding and extend vocabulary.

We will purchase resources and fund ongoing teacher training and release time.

There is a strong evidence base that suggests oral language interventions, including dialogic activities such as high-quality classroom discussion, are inexpensive to implement with high impacts on literacy:

(EEF Oral language interventions )

1, 2

Purchase and implementation of a new phonics programme to secure better consistency across the school in our phonics teaching for all pupils.

Phonics approaches have a strong evidence base that indicates a positive impact on the accuracy of word reading and fluency of independent writing, particularly for disadvantaged pupils:

(EEF Phonics)

2

Dedicated CPD time (twice every half-term) for all teachers to review and plan for progress of disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils.

1, 2, 5

Increased and improved interventions to better deliver focussed social and emotional (SEL) learning.

SEL groups (eg Lego Therapy) will be developed in addition to existing SEL learning already embedded into the curriculum. This will be achieved through by professional development and training for staff.

There is extensive evidence associating childhood social and emotional skills with improved outcomes at school and in later life (e.g., improved academic performance, attitudes, behaviour and relationships with peers):

(EEF Social and Emotional Learning)

1, 3, 5

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge addressed

Potential purchase of a programme to improve listening, narrative and vocabulary skills for disadvantaged pupils who have relatively low spoken language skills.

Oral language interventions can have a positive impact on pupils’ language skills. Approaches that focus on speaking, listening and a combination of the two show positive impacts on attainment:

(EEF Oral language interventions)

1

Additional phonics sessions targeted at disadvantaged pupils who require further phonics support. 

Phonics approaches have a strong evidence base indicating a positive impact on pupils, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds. Targeted phonics interventions have been shown to be more effective when delivered as regular sessions over a period up to 12 weeks:

( EEF Phonics)

2

Saturday school and targeted intervention groups provided in KS1 and 2 for those pupils in danger of falling behind

Tuition targeted at specific needs and knowledge gaps can be an effective method to support, in small groups, low attaining pupils or those falling behind

(EEF Small group tuition)

1, 2

SALT

(EEF Communication and language approaches)

1, 3

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge addressed

Subsidized school trips and residential visits for all disadvantaged pupils

4

Pastoral team engage with families to follow effective strategies set out in the DfE’s "Improving School Attendance" .

This will involve training and release time for staff to develop and implement new procedures.

The DfE guidance has been informed by engagement with schools that have significantly reduced levels of absence and persistent absence.

5

Continue to provide art therapy to support pupils with considerable barriers to success at school.

3, 5

Pastoral team provide vital link between home, school and multi-agency accessibility and support for our increasing numbers (post Covid) of vulnerable families.

All