Pupil Premium is additional monies allocated to schools to enhance the learning and attainment of a specific group of pupils.

Pupils that are eligible for Pupil Premium are based on specific criteria as outlined below:

• LAC (Looked After Children
• FSM (Pupils who are currently eligible or have been eligible for Free School Meals in the last 6 years).

Statement of intent

At Powers Hall Academy, we have high aspirations and ambitions for all our children. We are determined to ensure that the children at our school have every chance to realise their full potential. We understand that challenging socio-economic circumstances can create additional barriers to success for children. However, we are clear that these challenges can be overcome, taking a tiered approach which includes ensuring all children have access to excellent classroom teaching; targeted academic support to help children make progress; and wider strategies tackling the non-academic barriers to success, such as social and emotional support or behavioural support. Our identification of need is based on assessments and not assumptions. Our staff team are experts in our pupils, not their labels. We believe that every interaction matters and that all children should feel a sense of belonging and ownership. We will utilise the Pupil Premium, which is additional to main school funding, to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and their wealthier peers. We will ensure funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most.

In addition to this, 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, as we believe for these children to make progress; it is not just about supporting them academically, but their wider well-being too.

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 (Education Endowment Foundation 2021). In addition, carefully planned intervention and support groups will support pupils in narrowing gaps in their learning. 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 objectives are to:

• Remove barriers to learning created by social and economic background
• Ensure ALL pupils are able to read fluently and with good understanding to enable them to access the breadth of the curriculum
• Develop confidence in their ability to communicate effectively in a wide range of contexts
• Enable pupils to nurture their social and emotional wellbeing and to develop resilience
• Access a wide range of enrichment opportunities to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the world and raise aspirations.

Achieving our objectives: In order to achieve our objectives and overcome identified barriers to learning we will:

• Provide all teachers with high quality CPD to ensure that pupils access effective quality first teaching
• Provide targeted support to quickly address identified gaps in learning
• Target funding to ensure that all pupils have access to trips, residential visits and first hand learning experiences
• Provide opportunities for all pupils to participate in enrichment activities including sport and music Provide nurture to support pupils in their emotional and social development

Schools are required to publish information detailing the impact of funding with regards to data, reasons and evidence for allocation of spending.

This statement details our academy’s use of pupil premium (and recovery premium for the 2023 to 2024 academic year) funding to help improve the attainment of our disadvantaged students. 

It outlines our student premium strategy, how we intend to spend the funding in this academic year and the effect that last year’s spending of student premium had within our school.