Pupil Premium Policy

What is Pupil Premium?

Introduction

The Pupil Premium: is a direct payment toschools tosupport children from disadvantaged backgrounds (as defined by being eligible for free school meals currently or at some point in the previous six years), children from families employed in the armed forces, Children Looked After (CLA), and Adopted children. Raising the attainment ofChildren Looked After is a central responsibility oflocal authorities, schools and their partners in the community. The Pupil Premium is therefore a vital resource tohelp narrow the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers, whilst enhancing their learning journey and achievement.

This provides a significant resource allocation that is directly to support the needs and educational provision of students.

Support will be tailored toeach young person’s individual needs in the case of CLA pupils, but whole college strategic spending is also appropriate in the case of monies received for FSM pupils.

The PPG is allocated in differing ways, the FSM student component is allocated on an annual basis to the college budget and the CLA PPG is allocated depending on policy of the responsible Local Authority for each child. In the case of CLA the responsible Local Authority acts as the ‘corporate parent’ and the educational provision is overseen by each young person’s independent reviewing officer and the Virtual Headteacher for CLA.

Oak Grove College welcomes its role as a corporate parent for CLA students.

OGCPrinciples

Our Pupil Premium policy is based on the core principle of “Everyone Matters, Every Day Counts”.

Explicitly this means:

•We ensure that teaching and learning opportunities meet the needs of all of our pupils.

•All focused interventions are aimed at vulnerable children and children who meet the Pupil Premium criteria are given priority.

•We ensure that appropriate provision is made for pupils who belong to vulnerable groups, and that their needs are adequately assessed and addressed.

•In making provision for socially disadvantaged pupils, we recognise that not all pupils who receive free school meals, Children Looked After, Adopted Children or Children of Armed Forces personnel will be socially disadvantaged.

•We also recognise that not all pupils who are socially disadvantaged are registered or qualify for free school meals are Children Looked After, Adopted Childrenor Children’s of Armed Forces Personnel. We reserve the right to allocate the Pupil Premium funding to support any pupil or groups of pupils the college has legitimately identified as being socially disadvantaged.

•Pupil Premium funding will be allocated following a needs analysis which will identify priority classes, groups or individuals who will then receive either individual or whole group interventions.

•By being part of the locality Pupil Premium network, we have helped shape policy and development within West Sussex and it is our responsibility to advocate for all students, including those who are disadvantaged, to receive the highest quality education and support.

• Funding is allocated and used on an evidence based approach. This approach includes:

i)Focus on highly effective teaching.

ii)Discussion and networking with other schools.

iii)Use the Education Toolkit, created by the National Foundation for Educational Research NFER, which helps us compare nationally to what other schools do and to keep abreast of the evaluation of potential strategies.

iv)Be aware of latest OFSTED guidance.

v)Monitor closely the impact of strategies used.

vi)Use creative thinking, problem solving and decision making.

Ref : National Pupil Premium Champion

In addition to these principles, Oak Grove College also recognises that funding must provide development for students in other areas, including:

a)Holistic development including the provision of Communication switches and devices to promote community and social engagement.

b)Academic development including the provision of high quality interventions.

c)Therapeutic development including the provision of appropriate support including counselling, music therapy, riding therapy, sensory support.

d)Social developmental work including the provision of social opportunities and supporting the access of students to these.

Roles and Responsibilities

To ensure the best possible outcomes for all students there are a number of staff with specific responsibility for ensuring the highest quality of provision:

  • AHT responsible assessment, recording and reporting. The data analysis part of this role includes the oversight of all PPG students and ensuring across all subject areas show at least good progress for all. This post holder is also responsible for the recording and reporting of student progress including CLA students, their PEPs and review reports.
  • Lead Teachers: responsible for ensuring progression for all in their area of responsibility and ensuring any gaps in achievement in vulnerable groups are identified and addressed. They also work with their teams to ensure curriculum suitability for all students.
  • Pastoral Leaders: responsible alongside form tutors in ensuring CLA students’ needs are met and appropriate reporting and recording is undertaken to the relevant authorities (as outlined in Appendix A).
  • CLA staff member responsible for welfare checks of this group.
  • Data manager who provides clear progress data for these groups of students.
  • Class Teacher responsible for progress and curriculum suitability for PPG pupils.
  • Form Tutor responsible for pastoral care, well-being and progress of their students.
  • Evaluation of Pupil Premium students’ progress and well-being is a continuous process and would be reported on in line with the college Assessment, Reporting and Recording cycle. This includes progress reporting in the Assessment period cycle, Parents evenings and end of year summative reporting.

Alongside this there will be termly Senior Leadership Team (SLT) discussion time set aside for strategic planning across the college, based on recent data and therapeutic need. This informs budget setting and financial prioritising. This informs the annual calendar setting process.

All our work through Pupil Premium will be aimed at accelerating progress. Staff should identify other opportunities that will enhance pupils’ self-esteem and access to learning.

Accountability:

It will be the responsibility of the Assistant Head Teacher to produce reports for the Management Committee via the Standards and Provision Committee on:

  • The progress made for this group of students in relation to educational targets and national standards.
  • An outline of the provision that has been put in place and any new initiatives.
  • An evaluation of cost effectiveness in terms of academic progress and through other progress measures such as Personal and Social development.

The Management Committee should then consider this information in relation to data from other groups within the College.

This report will be produced on a termly basis.

The AHT should also ensure there is a statement on the college website informing families and interested parties how the PPG has been spent.

The standards and provision committee will review the policy on an annual basis.

Success Criteria

Success will be measured summatively by student achievement outcomes and progress measures.

The aim of the college is for students in receipt of Pupil Premium funding to achieve at least in line with their peers.

For some students the impact of PPG measures may be more individual to measure as they may be linked to self confidence, greater engagement in learning, improved communication and improved social behaviour.

Appendix A: Child Looked After: PEP process:

Processes

To ensure the quality of the Personal Education Plans written for our Children Looked After at Oak Grove College, the meetings are included in the annual review timetable for the academic year.

These meetings take place once every 6 months in conjunction with Children’s Services from the relevant local authority.

Task Schedule

AR Coordinator to plot out activities on the task schedule for teachers and for AR Coordinator to do.

Include:

  • Posting invitations 4 weeks before each meeting
  • Populate Oak Grove College PEP proforma and circulate to form tutor, pastoral leader, designated teacher for CLA, TA for CLA, named social worker and carer.
  • Include known future PEP dates in annual review timetable for Oak Grove College, so form tutor and designated teacher know dates of all upcoming PEPs.

Then follow activities on Task Schedule

4 weeks before meeting

Send letter to invite carers and Social Worker.

Enclose:

  • Populated PEP to include progress information, courses undertaken, expected accreditation and levels, attendance information and copies of ICLPs/ IPLPs.
  • Reply slip, to confirm attendance and whereabouts of meeting. Meetings are held in the most appropriate location in relation to the needs of the students.

1 week before meeting

  • Ensure reply slips have come back, if not, follow up by ringing carer.
  • Remind form tutor that CLA student has a section to fill out on PEP form.
  • As reply forms come in, tick off on student’s tick sheet in the folder and ring carer to rearrange if necessary.

The Meeting

Chair – follows the agenda (normally the social worker)

Contributions from student, form teacher and/or designated CLA teacher, social worker and carer.

After the meeting (within 5 days)

  • Social Worker types minutes of the meeting and then returns populated PEP to AR co-ordinator, form tutor and designated CLA teacher.
  • AR co-ordinator to print and put into student file.
  • AR co-ordinator to email all those at meeting with reminder of next date for agreed PEP and inform all relevant teams of agreed actions.

Evaluation of Impact of Pupil Premium Spending

At the end of each Assessment cycle we as a college will review the effectiveness of the spending to date. This can be done by ensuring that the teaching is meeting at least expected progress for those groups, that we are supporting effective interventions, that we have widened opportunities for PP pupils.

For CLA students this should also be done in preparation for that students next PEP as part of the PEP reporting cycle as outlined above.

Finally at the end of the academic year, then the Impact of PP spending document should be updated and evaluated to then formulate policy and different opportunities for the following academic year.

November 20151Review date: November 2018