What is Pupil Premium and Pupil Premium +?

Potten End CE Primary aims to provide a curriculum and learning environment, which gives each child the opportunities to realise her/his potential, irrespective of race, religion, ability, gender or culture. We try to build a climate of excitement, enjoyment and celebration so that each child will develop the skills needed for lifelong learning.

The funding is additional government funding to address perceived inequality of opportunity, between children of families on low incomes and their wealthier peers, by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most. The funding is allocated directly to schools and is calculated by how many pupils are registered to receive free school meals (due to low income) or are looked after by the local authority. It is for schools to decide how the funding is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility.　

At Potten End CE we value the rich diversity of backgrounds and experiences which our children bring and seek to eliminate achievement gaps that might arise from any form of disadvantage. In order to accomplish this we deliver an approach that personalises children’s learning through:

• Tailored interventions for children who are working below, but within reach of, age related expectations, as well as those with special educational needs
• Teaching assistants who offer support for children to meet age related expectations and to challenge more able learners
• Dedicated learning support for children with higher levels of need
• Family support workers to enable all our families to thrive
• Counselling services for children with higher levels of emotional needs
• A wide range of extra-curricular activities, which are free of charge (or subsidised) to all PPG pupils.
• Subsidies for school outings and workshops to make them accessible for all

Pupil Premium + is additional educational funding given to schools or virtual schools for children who are ‘looked after’ or in care, plus those children previously looked-after.  PP+ funding is provided by the Department for Education (DfE) and devolved to schools and education providers via the Virtual School. However, PP+ for previously looked after children is allocated directly to and managed by the school (not the Virtual School) - and the onus is on the parent, carer or guardian of the child to make the school aware of the child’s status.

How PP+ is spent is decided by the school, and it isn’t ring fenced for individual pupils. Rather, the funding goes into a collective pot to be allocated in the ways the school feels would benefit this group of children.  This has been outlined above.

The Virtual School (a multi-agency team consisting of a virtual head teacher, assistant head, Fostering Education Liaison Officers (FELOs), Education Support Officers, Progression Advisors, Support Officers and Education Welfare Officers) provides advice and information to schools on how to make the best use of the grant.