Leigh Academy Bearsted > About Us > Pupil Premium > Pupil Premium Strategy Statement 2023-24
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This statement details our school’s use of pupil premium (and recovery premium for the 2021 to 2022 academic year) funding to help improve the attainment of our disadvantaged pupils.

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

School overview

School name

Bearsted Primary Academy

Number of pupils in school

92 (318 + Nursery)

Proportion (%) of pupil premium eligible pupils

9.2% (27 pupils)

Academic year/years that our current pupil premium strategy plan covers (3 year plans are recommended)

2023-24

Date this statement was published

1st September 2023 (reviewed March 2024)

Date on which it will be reviewed

March and September 2024

Statement authorised by

Boden Dollie

Pupil premium lead

Jane Tipple

Governor / Trustee lead

Boden Dollie (Interim Chair)

Funding Overview

Pupil premium funding allocation this academic year

£30,555

Recovery premium funding allocation this academic year

TBC

Pupil premium funding carried forward from previous years (enter £0 if not applicable)

£0

Total budget for this academic year

£30,555

Statement of intent

At Bearsted Primary Academy, we believe that every child is unique and special. All members of staff, including governors and teaching assistants, accept responsibility for ‘socially disadvantaged’ pupils and are committed to meeting their pastoral, social and academic needs within a nurturing environment. Every child in our care, including a child who is considered to be ‘socially disadvantaged’, is valued, respected and entitled to develop to their full potential, irrespective of need. We intend that each child will develop a love for learning and acquire skills and abilities to support them in reaching their full potential and to be successful in life.

We are committed to ensuring the achievement of pupils who are eligible for Pupil Premium is equal to the achievement of non-eligible pupils. We, as a school, are able to determine how best to use the Pupil Premium grant to support pupils and raise education attainment; we create an overall package of support aimed to tackle a range of barriers as specified below.

High-quality learning and teaching is at the heart of our approach. The Bearsted Primary Academy Curriculum is truly broad and balanced, delivering challenging learning opportunities purposefully and in context.

Funding from the Pupil Premium Grant supports learning and teaching support, enrichment and well-being for our socially disadvantaged pupils.

Challenges

This details the key challenges to achievement that we have identified among our disadvantaged pupils

Challenge 1

Securing a positive sense of self to feel equitable with peers and therefore be equitably successful.

Challenge 2

Trusting in a safe environment to be able to engage with the learning and teaching.

Challenge 3

Being emotionally and physically ready to enter the academy.

Challenge 4

Accessing enrichment activities, opportunities and resources and basic living needs.

Intended Outcomes

This explains the outcomes we are aiming for by the end of our current strategy plan, and how we will measure whether they have been achieved.

Intended outcome

Success criteria

Pupils feel valued enough to have the confidence to engage with their peers.

Knowing they are valued empowers pupils to feel equal to their peers and worthy of wanting and achieving the same things as them.

Improved opportunities for pupils to be challenged across the curriculum; and to apply and extend skills in greater depth learning to inspire high aspirations for their future.

Pupils will develop physically, emotionally and academically in line with their peers. They will be successful in the Profile for Success that will develop them as an individual through agency and action.

Pupils do not feel disadvantaged because of their socio-economic status.

Pupils know and understand that they are entitled to the same high quality education and life opportunities as their peers and embrace this.

Activity in this academic year

This details how we intend to spend our pupil premium (and recovery premium funding) this academic year to address the challenges listed above.

Teaching (for example, CPD, recruitment and retention)

Budgeted cost: £2,000.00

CPD for teaching staff to better understand the developmental needs of these pupils and appropriate interventions and strategies to support them to be successful.

Evidence that supports this approach

The learning and teaching delivered to pupils directly influences and impacts upon the outcomes of pupils to be successful in line with their peers.

Challenge number(s) addressed

1, 2, 3 and 4

Makaton training for Early Years staff which will then be disseminated across the whole academy.

Evidence that supports this approach

The learning and teaching delivered to pupils directly influences and impacts upon the outcomes of pupils to be successful in line with their peers.

Challenge number(s) addressed

1, 2, 3 and 4

Team teach Family Engagement Training for Community Relations Officer and Learning Mentor.

Evidence that supports this approach

The learning and teaching delivered to pupils directly influences and impacts upon the outcomes of pupils to be successful in line with their peers.

Challenge number(s) addressed

1, 2, 3 and 4

Reading programme to close gaps and support accelerated reading.

Evidence that supports this approach

The learning and teaching delivered to pupils directly influences and impacts upon the outcomes of pupils to be successful in line with their peers.

Challenge number(s) addressed

1, 2, 3 and 4

Targeted academic support (for example, tutoring, one-to-one support structured interventions)

Budgeted cost: £ 34,000

Additional TA support to allow SEMH interventions to be implemented

Evidence that supports this approach

Curriculum and developmental research and theory agree that social and emotional development and communication are fundamental to being able to learn.

Challenge number(s) addressed

1, 2 and 3

Introduction of a Learning Mentor to provide emotional support and guidance for pupils and their families

Evidence that supports this approach

Curriculum and developmental research and theory agree that social and emotional development and communication are fundamental to being able to learn.

Challenge number(s) addressed

—

Wider strategies (for example, related to attendance, behaviour, wellbeing)

Budgeted cost: £6,000

Extend well-being corners in each classroom, including new, to give pupils a safe space to take respite from the day at a time they are struggling. Embed the philosophy of using these to support pupil well-being and capacity to be successful and learn. Whole academy well-being area. Bespoke outdoor equipment and resources to support pupils to build relationships with their peers and to feel safe and comforted during social times.

Evidence that supports this approach

When pupils struggling with their emotions and behaviour can express how they are feeling, they can recover rapidly and re-engage in their learning. This can be achieved through specific strategies and resources that allow them to independently remove themselves to a safe space to distract from their barriers and regulate their behaviour to access learning again. This is a particularly inclusive approach as everyone has a need for respite at some time.

Challenge number(s) addressed

1, 2 and 3

Support families who have financial difficulty with regards to academy resources and expenditure.

Evidence that supports this approach

By supporting families to afford the opportunities on offer, pupils are not disadvantaged and have equity in their learning.This starts at home including (not exhaustively) having a clean comfortable bed, satisfying meals and resources for leisure and learning.

Challenge number(s) addressed

3 and 4

Enrichment through clubs, trips, visits and visits and associated resources.

Evidence that supports this approach

Access to enrichment activities builds confidence and self-esteem, as well as developing independence, cultural capital and knowledge of wider opportunities.

Challenge number(s) addressed

1, 3 and 4

Total budgeted cost: £42,000

Part B: Review of outcomes in the previous academic year

Pupil premium strategy outcomes

This details the impact that our pupil premium activity had on pupils in the 2022 to 2023 academic year.

Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. We deliver teaching and learning through an inquiry based curriculum which values everyone’s ideas, opinions and personal circumstance. We build on this culture in our social relationships and learning environment.

Having additional adults enabled us to provide focused support for pupils in class to build their independence and confidence which, in turn, builds their positive learning behaviours. Further to this, additional adults and resources provided the capacity to work with individuals and groups of pupils to give them the skills and strategies to build friendships and to understand their feelings and emotions. There has been some mobility of support staff due to personal circumstances and it is important to maintain ratios of at least one teaching assistant per class. The most important impact of this is that they know and, most importantly, believe are important and valued. Over time, this is fed into their home life, helping families strengthen relationships and build a positive future together.

More practically, to ensure pupils could attend the academy and families can have the very basics they deserve, we have provided families with beds, mattresses and bedding, digital devices for home, uniform and subsidised or funded trips and visits. We have also funded wrap around care places where necessary to support working families.