Pupil Premium Grant Statement - The Harefield Academy 2020-21
The Harefield Academy is an inclusive school with a culture of high expectations for progress amongst all our students, irrespective of academic or social disadvantage. We seek to provide an educational experience that is high quality, enjoyable and inclusive for all. Pupil Premium is additional funding provided by the Government to promote provision for disadvantaged students which gives them equity with their non-disadvantaged peers. In the Academy, funding is used to ensure parity of provision for academic progress or enrichment, where opportunities or experiences may be limited in the absence of educational or financial support.
The grant is provided for the following groups of students:
- Pupils with an entitlement to free school meals (FSM)
- Pupils who have been entitled to FSM in any of the last 6 years (Ever 6)
- Those pupils in care or adopted from care (LAC)
Additional funding is also available for children of parents serving in the military.
Who Is Responsible for Effective use of Pupil Premium?
- At The Harefield Academy all staff effectively contribute to the positive progress of our disadvantaged students through: clear focus on students with disadvantage; robust facilitation of high attendance; CPD programmes that support delivery of high quality teaching; highly effective pastoral care systems; robust supportive communication with parents/carers.
- Key to our high expectations is the provision of high quality teaching informed by the effective use of data at all levels; teacher, departmental, SLT and Governors.
- All of our Governors receive regular feedback reports on progress for the disadvantaged cohorts throughout the year. We have a lead Governor whose visits focus on evaluation of interventions against progress and strategic planning for further improvement. All our linked Governors are expected to make active enquiry in respect of disadvantaged student progress when meeting with relevant leaders.
- Mrs. Monaghan (Assistant Headteacher – Inclusion and SENDCO) leads on the monitoring of provisions and outcomes for our disadvantaged cohorts.
Pupil Premium grant 2020-21. Illustration of interventions, support and strategies facilitated through funding:
- Attendance interventions and support from the LA participation team and other external support agencies to reduce the level of persistent absence amongst disadvantaged students.
- Provision of the Integrated Learning Centre to facilitate bespoke interventions, literacy catch up and personalised timetables for those whose learning needs are greatest.
- Screening and re-screening using Lucid Exact, to identify barriers in literacy and monitor progress.
- Introduction of Lexia ‘Power Up’ to support improvements in literacy for identified students and to support closing gaps exacerbated due to Covid-19 interventions.
- Repeat CAT testing for those flagged on entry, at the end of year 9 to identify students where Exam Access Arrangements will support progress. Early testing and implementation to allow ease of application and so improve outcomes, in exams.
- Additional careers support and guidance via EDT; additional hours have been allocated to provide repeat appointments for disadvantaged students to have careers guidance and support in Years 10 and 11, as well as bespoke career planning opportunities in all year groups.
- Exposure to wider cultural experiences through the use of trips which are subsidised for disadvantaged students. Virtual trips were facilitated during Covid19 restrictions to ensure development of cultural capital amongst more disadvantaged students.
- Dedicated funding for students to ensure that they are not prevented from full participation in school and school based opportunities due to financial constraints. These include funding for enrichment or curriculum based activities, school uniform, revision guides or textbooks, ingredients, or specialist equipment for practical based subjects such as Food Technology.
- Designated independent learning times in the ILC to support students with homework via TA/use of IT.
- Additional layers of communication with home for information on events, interventions, praise, sanctions, attendance, personal telephone invitation to parents’ evenings and 1:1 meetings with senior staff at parents’ evenings.
- Offsite placements at The Jubilee Academy to support our most challenged learners either for respite or full time placements.
- Provision of an independent educator to work with students on behavioural or emotional aspects which form barriers to their learning.
Planned Provision and Allocation of Spending on Pupil Premium Students
The Harefield Academy had £98,365 allocated from Pupil Premium funding for 2020-21.
The school has approximately 30.37% of the student body eligible for Pupil Premium funding. This is above the national average of 28% (IDSR 2017). When other deprivation factors are also considered deprivation is more widespread within our school population. The focus of use of the Pupil Premium grant is therefore with an emphasis on raising outcomes for all students with some bespoke provisions available for, or targeted towards those eligible for the grant.
Methodology for provision using the Pupil Premium utilises guidance from Ofsted alongside tried and proven interventions cited by EEF. This involves the use of high quality teaching at the centre with a range of provision, types of activities and resources selected to ensure the best possible support for our Pupil Premium pupils.
