Detail

Data

Number of pupils in school

312

Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils

36.9%

Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers

2022/2023-2025/2026

Date this statement was published

October 2024

Date on which it will be reviewed

October 2025

Statement authorised by

Robert Askey, Acting Headteacher

Pupil premium lead

Robert Askey, Acting Headteacher

Governor / Trustee lead

TBC

Detail

Amount

Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year

£170,200

Recovery premium funding allocation this academic year

Recovery premium received in academic year 2023/24 cannot be carried forward beyond August 31, 2024.

£0

Pupil premium funding carried forward from previous years (enter £0 if not applicable)

£0

Total budget for this academic year

If your school is an academy in a trust that pools this funding, state the amount available to your school this academic year

£170,200

Our intention is that all pupils, irrespective of their background or the challenges they face, make good progress and achieve high attainment across all subject areas. The focus of our pupil premium strategy is to support disadvantaged pupils to achieve that goal, including progress for those who are already high attainers.

We will consider the challenges faced by vulnerable pupils, such as those who have a social worker and young carers. The activity we have outlined in this statement is also intended to support their needs, regardless of whether they are disadvantaged or not.

High-quality teaching is at the heart of our approach, with a focus on areas in which disadvantaged pupils require the most support. This is proven to have the greatest impact on closing the disadvantage attainment gap and at the same time will benefit the non-disadvantaged pupils in our school. Implicit in the intended outcomes detailed below, is the intention that non-disadvantaged pupils’ attainment will be sustained and improved alongside progress for their disadvantaged peers.

Our strategy is also integral to wider school plans for education recovery, notably in its targeted support through the National Tutoring Programme for pupils whose education has been worst affected, including non-disadvantaged pupils.

Our approach will be responsive to common challenges and individual needs, rooted in robust diagnostic assessment, not assumptions about the impact of disadvantage. The approaches we have adopted complement each other to help pupils excel. To ensure they are effective we will:

• ensure disadvantaged pupils are challenged in the work that they’re set
• act early to intervene at the point need is identified
• adopt a whole school approach in which all staff take responsibility for disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes and raise expectations of what they can achieve

Challenge number

Detail of challenge

1

Assessments, observations, and discussions with pupils suggest disadvantaged pupils generally have greater difficulties with phonics than their peers. This negatively impacts their development as readers.

2

Our last published data in 2019 indicate that attainment among disadvantaged pupils, in maths and reading is significantly below that of non-disadvantaged pupils.

In 2019, 49% of our disadvantaged pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (age-related expectations) compared to 61% of all pupils. This gap is very clear with regards to their progress throughout their time in school.

3

Internal assessments indicate that attainment among disadvantaged pupils, in the broader curriculum is significantly below that of non-disadvantaged pupils.

This relates to issues with phonics and reading, which negatively impacts their ability to access a broader range of subjects.

4

Our assessments and observations indicate that physical literacy for many of our disadvantaged pupils have been impacted by school closures to a greater extent than for other pupils. These findings are supported by national studies.

This has resulted in significant gaps leading to pupils falling further behind age-related expectations in physical development.

Additionally, the overall health of pupils, in terms of obesity and physical activity, has decreased. This is especially pertinent for disadvantaged pupils. These issues relate to situations around housing and lack of resources for some disadvantaged pupils.

5

Our assessments and observations indicate that the education and wellbeing of many of our disadvantaged pupils have been impacted by partial school closures to a greater extent than for other pupils. These findings are supported by national studies.

This has resulted in significant knowledge gaps leading to pupils falling further behind age-related expectations, in all subjects, but particularly in phonics and social and emotional development.

6

Our assessments, observations and discussions with pupils and families have identified social and emotional issues for many pupils, notably due to school closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic. These challenges particularly affect disadvantaged pupils, including their attainment.

7

Our attendance data for this year indicates that attendance among disadvantaged pupils has been 0.6% lower than for non-disadvantaged pupils. Attendance for all pupils is below national expectations.

Intended outcome

Success criteria

Improved reading attainment among

disadvantaged pupils.

KS1 and KS2 reading outcomes in 2025/26 show that more than 78% of disadvantaged pupils met the expected standard.

Outcomes in the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2025/26 show that disadvantaged pupils achieve in line with their peers.

Improved maths attainment for

disadvantaged pupils at the end of KS2.

KS2 maths outcomes in 2025/26 show that disadvantaged pupils achieve in line with their peers.

Improved attainment in the broader

curriculum among disadvantaged pupils.

Internal assessments and observations indicate significantly improved outcomes for subjects in the broad curriculum, particularly among disadvantaged pupils. This is evident when triangulated with other sources of evidence, including engagement in lessons, book scrutiny, and ongoing formative assessment.

Assessments indicate that pupils are able to apply knowledge across a broad range of subjects and utilise their reading skills to help learning across a range of subjects.

Improved physical literacy among disadvantaged pupils.

Internal assessments and observations indicate significantly improved outcomes in physical literacy, particularly among disadvantaged pupils.

Sustained high levels of physical literacy from 2025/26 demonstrated by:

• assessments and observations in physical education
• a significant increase in participation in extra-curricular sporting activities among disadvantaged pupils

To achieve and sustain improved wellbeing for all pupils in our school, particularly our disadvantaged pupils.

Sustained high levels of wellbeing from 2025/26 demonstrated by:

• qualitative data from student voice, student and parent surveys and teacher observations
• a significant increase in participation in enrichment activities, particularly among disadvantaged pupils
• a good understanding among all students of what constitutes bullying and discriminatory behaviour
• evidence, from assessments and observations, of benefits of nurture interventions and social and emotional support

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

Sustained high attendance from 2025/26 demonstrated by:

• the overall absence rate for all pupils being no more than 4.2%, and the attendance gap between disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged peers being reduced by 0.5%.
• the percentage of all pupils who are persistently absent being below 5% and the figure among disadvantaged pupils being no more than 2% lower than their peers.

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

Subscription to Little Wandle Phonics Programme to secure stronger phonics teaching for all pupils.

Purchase a broader range of targeted texts to support high quality reading throughout the school.

Phonics approaches have a strong evidence base that indicates a positive impact on the accuracy of word reading (though not necessarily comprehension), particularly for disadvantaged pupils:

Phonics | Toolkit Strand | Education Endowment Foundation | EEF

1, 2, 3

Enhancement of our maths teaching and curriculum planning in line with DfE and EEF guidance.

We will fund teacher release time to embed key elements of guidance in school and to access Maths Hub resources and CPD (including Teaching for Mastery training).

The DfE non-statutory guidance has been produced in conjunction with the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, drawing on evidence-based approaches:

Maths_guidance_KS_1_and_2.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

The EEF guidance is based on a range of the best available evidence:

Improving Mathematics in Key Stages 2 and 3

2, 3

Improve the quality of social and emotional (SEL) learning.

SEL approaches will be embedded into routine educational practices and supported 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.pdf(educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

5, 6

Purchase well-designed schemes of work to ensure that the broad and balanced curriculum meets the needs of all pupils and allows teachers to focus more on the needs of individual pupils.

High quality teaching benefits all children, low threshold-high ceiling activities mean that all children can be included in every lesson.

Improve the quality of overall teaching to ensure that all pupils can access the whole curriculum.

We will fund additional training across the curriculum for teachers and support staff.

High quality teaching benefits all children, low threshold-high ceiling activities mean that all children can be included in every lesson.

1, 2, 3

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

EYFS interventions. Trained Teaching Assistants in Nursery and Reception. Additional resources for Reception and Nursery classes and outdoor learning environments.

Evidence shows that giving priority to EYFS intervention, putting expenditure early in the developmental life cycle (below 5), proved to be very effective.

Evidenced in Fair Society Healthy Lives (The Marmot Review)

1, 2, 3

Maths and Literacy Booster Clubs. Pupils in KS2 who are identified as falling behind the age-related expectations are provided with additional sessions in core subjects before and after school.

Tuition targeted at specific needs and knowledge gaps can be an effective method to support low attaining pupils or those falling behind, both one-to-one:

One to one tuition | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

2

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:

Phonics | Toolkit Strand | Education Endowment Foundation | EEF

1

Activity

Evidence that supports this approach

Challenge number(s) addressed

Whole staff training on behaviour management and anti-bullying approaches with the aim of developing our school ethos and improving behaviour across school.

Both targeted interventions and universal approaches can have positive overall effects:

Behaviour interventions | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

5

Additional Teaching Assistants for those identified with behaviour needs who are not funded by, or applying for, EHCPs.

Both targeted interventions and universal approaches can have positive overall effects:

Behaviour interventions | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

All

Embedding principles of good practice set out in the DfE’s Improving School Attendance advice.

This will involve training and release time for staff to develop and implement new procedures and appointing attendance/support officers to improve attendance.

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

7

Speech and Language Therapist support for oral language interventions.

Speech and Language interventions are effective at supporting oral language skills and social and emoti9onal development.

5, 6

Nurture provision. Small, structured teaching groups for children showing signs of behavioural, social or emotional difficulties, particularly those who are experiencing disruption or distress outside school.

Nurture groups assess learning and social and emotional needs and give help that is needed to remove the barriers to learning.

Evidenced at Nurture Provision in Primary Schools.

5, 6

Contingency fund for acute issues.

Based on our experiences and those of similar schools to ours, we have identified a need to set a small amount of funding aside to respond quickly to needs that have not yet been identified.

All

Outline the performance of your disadvantaged pupils in the previous academic year and explain how it has been assessed. You should draw on:

·      At the end of KS2, there is still a gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils.

·      The data is mixed. For all pupils progress was made from 2023 to 2024.

·      In Reading and Maths, a higher proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieved the expected standard. In writing the percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving the expected standard fell.

·      The gap between advantaged and disadvantaged pupils has widened. In Reading, the gap has gone from 8.9% to 13.1%. In Writing the gap has gone from 5.4% to 12.6% and in Maths the gap has gone from 19.3% to 4.5%.

·      When compared to Croydon, the gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged is as follows: Reading 7%, Writing 7.6%, Maths 8.5%

·      When considering long-term pupil progress, we do not have data to compare with 2023. In 2024, we have seen a higher level of progress scores in Reading Writing and Maths among disadvantaged pupils than the cohort as a whole. In reading disadvantaged pupils progressed by an average of 5.64 points (compared to 3.76) in writing disadvantaged pupils progressed by an average of 1.92 points (compared to 0.83%) and in maths disadvantaged pupils progressed by an average of 5.03 points (compared to 3.78%). All of these progress values are greater than Croydon as a whole.

·      The Y1 Phonics data shows a much better picture. In 2023 88.5% of pupils passed the screening check. 87.5% of disadvantaged pupils passed. A gap of 1%. In 2024 82.5% of pupils passed the phonics screening check. 84.6% of disadvantaged pupils did. Disadvantaged pupils out-performing the cohort as a whole by 2.1%.

·      When compared to Croydon, the gap in 2023 was 7.1% and in 2024 was 6.4%. In phonics our pupils, both advantaged and disadvantaged out-perform Croydon averages.

·      In addition to the pupil premium funding received in the 2023/24 academic year, we also received funding as part of the National Tutoring Programme, we used this funding to disproportionally target disadvantaged pupils.

·      Attendance between the whole cohort and disadvantaged pupils was similar, with disadvantaged pupils averaging 1% less attendance.

·      There are significant differences between cohorts, which makes it difficult for single strategies to be employed.

·      There is still a significant impact of school closures during the Covid 19 pandemic. In areas such as reading data shows that pupils who have not missed school due to covid are at an advantage. Though there is some evidence from discussion with parents that disadvantaged families who had young children during the pandemic suffered greater isolation than non-disadvantaged families. We are certainly seeing a greater level of need through speech and language screening in Reception with children who are younger.

Broadly we are still working towards the areas of the strategy.

Disadvantaged pupils are making greater progress that the whole cohort, but not enough to close the gap.

Our nurture provision is providing all pupils, but especially those who are disadvantaged with better strategies to improve their own wellbeing.

We are making minor adaptations at this stage to priorities the areas of the strategy that are working.

We are implementing new schemes of work, to allow teachers to focus on ensuring pupils are making progress and disadvantaged groups are given the maximum amount of support.

The school timetables have been adapted to give all children more time to spend on key learning. With specific groups being targeted.