Pupil Premium at Lydiard Park Academy

The Pupil Premium is a Government initiative that was introduced in April 2011 to benefit pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. The overall aim is to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils of all abilities and to close the gaps between them and their peers.

The following groups are eligible for pupil premium:

• pupils who are recorded as eligible for free school meals, or have been recorded as eligible in the past 6 years, including eligible children of families who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF)
• children looked after by local authorities, referred to as looked-after children
• children previously looked after by a local authority or other state care, referred to as previously looked-after children

Service pupil premium is additional funding for schools with pupils who have parents serving in the armed forces. One or more of the following criteria must be met:

• one of their parents is serving in the regular armed forces, including pupils with a parent who is on full commitment as part of the full-time reserve service - this includes pupils with a parent who is in the armed forces of another nation and is stationed in England
• registered as a ‘service child’ on any school census in the past 6 years
• one of their parents died while serving in the armed forces and the pupil receives a pension under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or the War Pensions Scheme

If you think you are eligible for Free School Meals, please click the link below and find out how to apply.

Check eligibility for Free School Meals

Evidence shows that the progress and achievement of disadvantaged pupils is normally lower than that of ‘other’ pupils. The pupil premium funding ensures eligible pupils benefit from the same educational opportunities as all other pupils.

Pupil Premium Objectives

• To provide additional educational support to raise the achievement of pupils eligible for Pupil Premium
• To make a positive impact on the education and personal outcomes of pupils eligible for Pupil Premium

Pupil Premium Strategy

• To develop whole school programmes when addressing the attainment gap experienced by disadvantaged pupils.
• To develop targeted support for individual pupils who have specific needs.
• To create a Pupil Premium action plan that sits within the School Development Plan, with an approximate cost of providing each intervention.
• To regularly monitor and assess the overall impact of whole school and individual interventions in terms of educational outcomes and pupils’ wider personal development.
• To monitor and report on the cost-effectiveness of Pupil Premium spend and amend future strategies and plans as a result.
• To report regularly to the governing body and to publish information on Pupil Premium spending an annual basis to parents.

Pupil Premium Grant – Whole School Programme

There are a number of whole school programmes that the school may use to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils, which may include:

• Behaviour and attendance support programmes; reducing challenging behaviour in school can have a direct and lasting effect on pupils’ learning. The School uses a merit/demerit system to improve behaviour and also implements programmes which are targeted at students with specific behavioural issues.
• Counselling and pastoral support programmes; the School directly employs two counsellors who offer 1:1 coaching and tailor their interventions to the specific needs of the pupils.
• A focus on social and emotional learning; the School delivers specialised programmes which are targeted at pupils with particular social or emotional problems, as well as a whole school approach supporting greater engagement in learning.
• Supported learning through digital technology; the School has invested in interactive whiteboards, laptops, tablets and a number of learning platforms that supplement the traditional methods of teaching. The additional technology enables different learning interactions, which particularly benefits pupils with lower engagement or motivation to learn.
• Subsidised participation in art and music clubs and lessons; the School offers subsidies to disadvantaged pupils to encourage their participation in art and music activities (e.g. music tuition).
• Subsidised participation in extra-curricular activities; cultural and enrichment activities and trips; the School will fully subsidise trips that wholly support the curriculum and will part subsidise other extra-curricular activities that promote the social and educational development of pupils. The School provides a breakfast club and a late bus to encourage disadvantaged children to attend extra-curricular activities.
• Parental involvement programmes; the School encourages the active engagement of parents in supporting their children’s learning. The School includes programmes to encourage parents to support their children to read or do mathematics.
• Reducing class sizes and employing additional teaching assistants; the School continually reviews the number of teachers and class sizes, endeavouring to increase staffing levels and reduce class sizes. This allows teachers to provide greater focus on Pupil Premium performance.