Pupil Premium & Catch up Funding

Pupil Premium Funding

Pupil Premium funding is provided to schools in addition to main school funding and is designed to ensure that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it the most. It is allocated according to three categories of pupils- the number of pupils on-roll who are eligible for free school meals (FSM), a smaller amount according to the number of children of service families, and an allocation for each pupil who has been ‘Looked After’ (in care) for 6 months or more. It also includes pupils eligible for FSM at any point in the last six years (known as the Ever6 measure). Schools are free to spend the Pupil Premium as they see fit. However, all schools are held accountable for how they use the additional funding to support pupils from low-income families.

The educational performance of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds is much lower than their peers. The barriers and challenges disadvantaged pupils face are complex and varied – there is no single difficulty faced by all. Disadvantage has a big influence on pupils’ life chances. As the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission’s 2014 ‘State of the Nation’ report highlights, pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are twice as likely to be not in education, employment or training (NEET) and at higher risk of ending up in poverty as adults.

But schools can make a difference to this. By supporting disadvantaged pupils to achieve their full potential, schools can help break the link between disadvantage and performance. At Cross Farm, we have an ethos that reinforces aspiration and attainment for all which we deliver through high quality teaching. We recognise the importance of getting the basics right, like attendance and behaviour, and understand that failing to put these building blocks in place will undermine the effectiveness of the pupil premium in raising standards. We adopt a whole school approach to our use of the pupil premium and we aim to enable all pupils, including our most able, to achieve.

At Cross Farm, we recognise that disadvantaged pupils face a variety of challenges and we tailor our provision to meet individual needs. This may include 1:1 support, targeted interventions in small groups, emotional literacy support, and access to a Family Support Worker. We plan and regularly review a range of interventions and strategies which enable us to diminish the difference between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. The funding also enables us to teach children in smaller groups and to ensure that every disadvantaged pupil has full access to a broad and varied provision throughout their time at Cross Farm.