Pupil Premium

At Shoreham Academy, we believe that students who join us who are PP eligible should make progress in-line with, or more than, their peers. Our Pupil Premium Plan is put in place to ensure all funding available is utilised to remove as many barriers, and obstacles, as possible to ensure that progress is made. It is through integrity and hard work that we then achieve, and expect, excellence.  

Our plan is to ensure that research-based approaches to improving teaching and learning are happening across all classrooms, while data-driven decisions surrounding intervention are put in place. Our tiered approach to strategies implemented through the funding of the Pupil Premium grant has been recommended by the EEF, and will involve focusing on excellent teaching, targeted support and effective wider strategies.  

What is the Pupil Premium?

Pupil premium is funding allocated from the government to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in schools in England. Pupil Premium funding is to specifically assist children who fall into at least one of the following groups:

What can we spend this money on?

Schools are free to spend the allocated funds as they deem most appropriate to support eligible pupils attainment and education. At Shoreham Academy, we allocate funding based on an understanding of individual pupils needs, local context and evidence-based research.

The Education Endowment Fund has developed research led approaches to help schools identify the best strategies to ensure students in receipt of Pupil Premium funding achieve their highest standards. These can be seen here. This report and the links included on page 13 have been taken into consideration when planning and reviewing the Pupil premium strategy each academic year.

Our Pupil Premium strategy and impact statement can be seen at the link below and is reviewed termly. The statement clarifies our current funding allocation and reviews the impact of last year's spending to support the progress, achievement and well-being of eligible pupils.

What are the main barriers to educational achievement that disadvantaged students face and how can schools best support them?

The Education Endowment Fund (EEF) has a website that looks at as much research as possible on making a difference to pupils’ progress. Their work is widely recognised as being a recommended and outstanding source of information. Their toolkit can be used to provide guidance on strategies that are shown to be effective. Several other institutions have also researched the challenges facing students from disadvantaged families. These publications include reports from: The Sutton Trust (Cracking the Code), The Fair Education Alliance, The Social Mobility Commission, Tackling Child Poverty (West Sussex):

Many of the report’s findings are common knowledge among schools. They include statements that are relevant to Shoreham Academy:

• Low-income students make on average half a GCSE grade less progress in Att 8 subjects.
• Low-income White British groups make the least progress.
• The progress gap is widest in the South-East and narrowest in London.
• Pupils’ achievement is linked to commitment to independent study and low-income parents are less likely to be able to help with this given the more complex secondary curriculum.
• SEND and mental health are particularly likely to adversely affect progress. These factors are also more likely to affect low-income pupils.
• Low-income students are four times more likely to be permanently excluded.
• Academically enriching activities may help to support attitudes to school and learning but low-income pupils are less likely to participate.
• Disadvantaged students are four times less likely to attend a high tariff university than their peers.
• The gap in literacy and numeracy levels at the end of primary education is 8.2 months.
• Pupils achieve less well in schools which neglect to prioritise Key Stage 3 progress.
• The reports encourage schools to invest in best practice, which includes the following points:
• Promote quality first teaching to ensure literacy and numeracy gaps are closed.
• Provide students with a broad educational experience.
• Promote skills that enable self-supported study.
• Low-income pupils will benefit from peer group effects in outstanding schools.
• Attainment will frequently precede aspirations.
• Ensure good attendance records of disadvantaged students.
• Promote the high profile of disadvantaged students.
• Pupil progress is highest in outstanding schools with high expectations.

By referring to research undertaken by the authors of these publications and by regularly referring to research published by the EEF, we are confident that our planning for the removal of barriers for disadvantaged students is effective. Strategies from previous academic years are also evaluated to ensure that resources are deployed where they can have maximum impact.

The key intervention and support strategies used to close the gap at Shoreham Academy can be found in the attached documents below.