Pupil Premium
At Horfield CEVC Primary School we are committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for all of our children, including those who are disadvantaged, and we promote an ethos of attainment for everyone.
This is greatly valued by parents and has a positive impact on children’s learning in the classroom.
The Pupil Premium grant provides funding to improve the educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, and it allows us to offer carefully targeted support and interventions which can have a profound impact on those children who benefit from them.
Horfield parents greatly value the school’s strong emphasis on the equality of opportunity for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged.
To view our Pupil Premium strategy document please click on the following link:
Our four steps for making the best use of Pupil Premium funding are:
1 identifying the barriers to learning
2 planning the solutions
3 agreeing the success criteria
4 evaluating the impact
1 Identifying the Barriers to Learning
Staff begin the year by carefully assessing the barriers to learning for those children in their classes who are eligible for Pupil Premium funding. Parent and child consultations are organised, and through this partnership we identify what learning support is required along with any emotional and social needs. Ambitious targets and success criteria are set for the year, and these are shared with the senior leadership team so that funding can be directed to meet each pupil’s needs.
2 Planning the Solutions
We use most of our Pupil Premium grant to ensure that day-to-day lessons are of the highest quality, with the extra funding helping staff to personalise their teaching so that every pupil can make good progress.
3 Agreeing Success Criteria
Our overarching aim is to raise the attainment of our disadvantaged pupils to the level of their non-disadvantaged peers. To achieve this, specific targets may focus on improving attendance, strengthening partnerships with parents and broadening the range of opportunities we offer.
4 Evaluating the Impact
Our staff continually gather evidence during any interventions to assess their effectiveness and make sure they are helping pupils to progress successfully.
For our strategy to be as effective as possible, we:
- use pre-teaching and focus on oracy development
- consider each child’s emotional and social wellbeing
- offer enriching extra-curricular activities
- provide strong links with families and the wider community
The rest of this page explores each of these areas.
Pre-Teaching and Oracy Development
Pre-teaching allows us to introduce key ideas along with any specific language needed before the main lesson begins. This can be particularly helpful for vulnerable learners because having prior knowledge of tricky terms and concepts makes it easier for them to grasp more complex content later on and helps build their confidence. Focusing on the oracy skils of speaking and listening can also remove remove barriers to learning by giving children an effective voice in the classroom.
Emotional and Social Wellbeing
At Horfield Primary, staff, parents and children work together to provide a culture of care and encouragement, while collaborative activities such as team games, music performances and our buddy system between Year 6 classes and Reception children foster a sense of belonging.
Our classrooms offer predictable, safe environments with teaching that is carefully planned to promote a respect for the diverse ways in which our pupils and their families lead their lives. For those who have specific emotional, social and behavioural issues we provide carefully targeted support, whether in one-to-one sessions or as part of a small group, and we have quiet spaces for managing intense emotions.
Extra-Curricular Activities
Beyond the core curriculum our school helps to build our children’s ‘cultural capital’ so that we give every child – particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds – the background knowledge, experiences and vocabulary they need to succeed. Pupils often have the chance to visit concert venues, museums and art galleries, building their cultural awareness and encouraging a sense of pride in our city, while within the school, funded places are provided for music tuition and afternoon clubs.
In Key Stage 2 all our children have the chance to visit residential camps where carefully chosen, inclusive physical challenges encourage them to cooperate effectively while helping them develop their resilience.
Family and Community
Our teachers and pastoral team work hard to establish a strong partnership with our school families and the wider community – something which is greatly valued by parents, not least because it helps the children’s learning in the classroom. We can offer home visits and additional teaching demonstrations, and also provide support in the following areas:
- improving attendance and avoiding lateness
- accessing breakfast club
- nutrition, and accessing food banks
- care routines and behaviour strategies
- completing official forms
