Pupil Premium and Free School Meals

View our Pupil Premium Statement for 2017-18

Pupil Premium was introduced by the government to help support disadvantaged students by giving schools extra funding to enable them to take the most effective actions to improve attainment.

Reducing the gap in performance between students from backgrounds with different levels of wealth is the key function of the Pupil Premium. To determine who was eligible for pupil premium the government used Free School Meals (FSM) as an indicator of disadvantage. As with any indicator, the rationale can be questioned but it is the indicator that the government has chosen and the one we adhere to.

Wixams Tree Primary ethos

We are devoted to providing an outstanding education for all. Staff and students have the highest expectations for academic excellence and personal development.  This common purpose of success and achievement permeates all that we do. To this end, students who require intervention will be quickly identified and any challenges they face overcome.  We will not accept any student falling behind and not reaching their full potential.

Our aim

The targeted and strategic use of Pupil Premium will support us in achieving our aim of helping everyone achieve their full potential.

As a school, we will do this by:

• Ensuring excellent learning experiences in the classroom
• Delivering a range of group and individual interventions designed to support those with identified needs
• Offering a rich and varied menu of activities designed to engage and motivate students, raising their aspirations and creating a positive view of learning

Principles

• We ensure that teaching and learning opportunities meet the need of all the students
• We ensure that appropriate provision is made for students who belong to vulnerable groups. This includes ensuring that the needs of socially disadvantaged students are adequately assessed and addressed
• In making provision for socially disadvantaged students, we recognise that not all students who receive Free School Meals (FSM) will be socially disadvantaged. For the purpose of this policy FSM children will include past as well as current recipients.
• We also recognise that not all students who are socially disadvantaged are registered or qualify for Free School Meals. We reserve the right to allocate the Pupil Premium funding to support any student or groups of students the school has legitimately identified as being socially disadvantaged. Any group will be made up of FSM children and non FSM children, where their needs are similar, or where meeting their needs helps to create a learning environment more conducive to success for all.
• Pupil Premium funding will be allocated following a needs analysis which will identify priority groups or individuals. Limited funding and resources means that not all children receiving free school meals will be in receipt of Pupil Premium interventions at any one time.

Provision

The range of provision the Governors may consider making for this group could include:

1. Achievement and Standards work including additional class based or intervention work to accelerate progress of targeted groups of individuals
2. Learning Support to enable students to fully access learning and accelerate progress where there are specific barriers
3. Pastoral work which undertakes work to raise self-esteem, extend their personal skill set and support students to take appropriate choices in order to maximise learning opportunities
4. Enrichment to ensure that students are given a full opportunity to develop other talents in sport and creativity to also improve self-confidence and motivation for school

All our work through the Pupil Premium will be aimed at accelerating progress moving students to at least age related expectations.

Reporting

It will be the responsibility of the Principal, or a delegated member of staff, to produce regular reports for Governors on:

• The progress made towards narrowing the gap for socially disadvantaged students
• An outline of the provision in place at the school
• An evaluation of the effectiveness, in terms of the progress made by the students receiving a particular provision
• A summary of how the pupil premium budget has been spent and its impact

The Governors of the school will ensure that there is an annual statement to parents/carers on how the Pupil Premium funding has been used to address the issue of ‘narrowing the gap’, for socially disadvantaged students. This task will be carried out mindful of any requirements published by the Department of Education.

Find out more about free school meals and apply on the Government website.

Free School Meals information

Wixams Tree Primary appreciates that some parents do not apply for Free School Meals (FSM) but now, more than ever, it can clearly be seen to have educational advantages for individual students for a number of years through their school career. FSM eligibility is more than a meal at lunchtime and the benefits for those students eligible are now much more, spanning a period of at least six years from the initial allowance.

We would encourage all parents who may be eligible for FSM to pursue this support avenue. It could help children considerably whilst they are at school and give them access to many more opportunities. If you are unsure as to the benefits, please do not hesitate to give us a call.

Please visit the Bedford Borough Council website for information on eligibility.