Phil Tree, Assistant Head Teacher Pupil Premium

Hi everyone! I have been Assistant Headteacher at Northgate for the past two years. I am responsible for developing our Pupil Premium Strategy. It is a pleasure to work with so many families and build such strong relationships with our whole school community. I am passionate about ensuring that every child has the opportunities to thrive in all areas of the curriculum and reach their full potential. Please see below for more information about what we offer.

Pupil Premium Strategy

VISION 

Children who are disadvantaged will thrive in an environment where expectations are high and support is provided for all pupils to reach their full potential in a school of excellence and happiness in the heart of the community. They will be able to analyse information and have resilience to make informed decisions about a range of situations that they encounter. They will have a basis of knowledge that enables them to think critically about the world in a range of contexts and apply existing knowledge to understand it further. Through a broad and balanced curriculum, the children will have access to learning that teaches them about the areas of interest and joy that can be found outside of the school building. We will teach skills through a range of concepts so we can capture their interests and aspirations for the future. 

Background

The pupil premium is a government initiative that targets extra money at pupils from deprived backgrounds. Research shows that pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds underachieve compared to their advantaged peers. The premium is provided to enable these pupils to be supported to reach their potential.

The Government has used pupils entitled to free school meals (FSM), looked after children and service children as indicators of deprivation, and have provided a fixed amount of money for schools per pupil based on the number of pupils registered for FSM over a rolling six year period. This fixed amount of money is expected to increase every year for the course of this current Parliament.

At Northgate we will be using the indicator of those eligible for FSM as well as identified vulnerable groups as our target children to ‘close the gap’ regarding attainment.

Parents who are in receipt of the following payments are eligible to apply for Free School Meals which entitles their children to Pupil Premium:

• Universal Credit in prescribed circumstances
• Income support
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (IBJSA)
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Child Tax Credit, (provided that the parent is not entitled to Working Tax Credit, and their annual income, assessed by HMRC does not exceed £16,190 for the year 2013/14
• Guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• An income related employment and support allowance that was introduced on 27 October 2008

We use the funding to help support disadvantaged pupils through a variety of initiatives such as a Nurture Room, Pupil Premium time with teachers, 1:1 reading interventions, a learning mentor, play therapy sessions, a therapy dog and Forest school and outdoor gardening sessions.

Please see further details in our Pupil Premium Strategy 2020-21.

An application form is available from the school office or follow this link to West Sussex County Council for information and the application form.

When making decisions about using pupil premium funding it is important to consider the context of the school and the subsequent challenges faced. Common barriers for FSM children at Northgate Primary School School, can be less support at home, weak language and communication skills, lack of confidence, more frequent behaviour difficulties, and attendance and punctuality issues. There may also be complex family situations that prevent children from flourishing. The challenges are varied and there is no “one size fits all”.

Identification of Pupils

We will ensure that:  

• ALL teaching staff and support staff are involved in the analysis of data and identification of pupils  

• ALL staff are aware of who pupil premium and vulnerable children are 

• ALL pupil premium children benefit from the funding, not just those who are underperforming 

• Underachievement at all levels is targeted (not just lower attaining pupils) 

• Children’s individual needs are considered carefully so that we provide support for those children who could be doing “even better if….. 

Monitoring and Evaluation 

We will ensure that:

• A wide range of data is used – achievement data, pupils’ work, observations, learning walks, case studies, and staff, parent and pupil voice 

• Assessment Data is collected half termly so that the impact of interventions can be monitored regularly 

• Assessments are closely moderated to ensure they are accurate 

• Teaching staff and support staff attend and contribute to pupil progress meetings each term and the identification of children is reviewed 

• Regular feedback about performance is given to children and parents 

• Interventions are adapted or changed if they are not working