Pupil Premium Strategies and Reviews

 Please find our most recent pupil premium strategies below. You will note that our most recent plan covers a three-year period. There will be light-touch reviews each year but recent DfE guidance has suggested moving in this direction for the reasons quoted on their website and below:

 

"From September 2019 schools are encouraged to move away from full annual reviews that can be time-consuming and instead consider a multi-year strategy – such as one covering a 3 year period – for pupil premium use, with light touch annual reviews that will continue to form the school’s pupil premium statement. This will help school leaders to:

• take a longer view of the support the grant will provide
• align their plan with the wider school improvement strategy

Doing this will give schools greater certainty when planning their:

• expenditure
• recruitment
• teaching practice
• staff development"

DSAT rationale for Pupil Premium

 

The Government believes that the Pupil Premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children, ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most. The Pupil Premium is allocated to our academies and is clearly identifiable. Our academies are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility. However, we will always work with and support them in ensuring the most effective use is made for the benefit of the pupils. The Pupil Premium is allocated to schools per Free School Meals (FSM) pupil (any pupil who has been eligible for Free School Meals during the last six years). It is also allocated to children in care (CLA) and those who have parents in the armed services.

 

Our academies and the Trust as a whole will be held accountable for how they have used the additional funding to support pupils. Our academies will all publish online information about how they have used the Pupil Premium and the impact it has had.

 

Within the Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust, we have high aspirations and ambitions for our children and we believe that no child should be left behind. We strongly believe that it is not about where you come from but your passion and thirst for knowledge, and your dedication and commitment to learning that make the difference between success and failure. We are determined to ensure that our children are given every chance to realise their full potential. As a Trust, we receive a significant amount of Pupil Premium funding. Whilst we largely delegate this funding to our academies, we recognise our responsibilities for the full amount and are committed to working with our academies collaboratively, to ensure that our pupils gain the maximum benefit from this funding, working together to achieve this wherever possible.

 

When making decisions about using Pupil Premium funding, our academies consider the context of the academy and the subsequent challenges faced. Common barriers for our children are considered, such as the level of support at home, poor attendance, weak language and communication skills, lack of confidence and more frequent behaviour difficulties. The challenges are varied and there is no ‘one size fits all’.

 

Our commitment as a Trust is to grow and develop academies where the needs of pupils eligible for Pupil Premium funding are fully met. We will do this by seeking to develop a PP first culture and practice in our academies to deliver our nine strategic priorities.