Pupil Premium

Pupil Premium funding strategy plan

Pupil Premium funding, is additional to the main school funding, is allocated to schools to help address inequalities between children eligible for free school meals (FSM) and those children who are not. In 2024/25 Blackheath primary school will receive £261,792.

Who is entitled to Pupil Premium Funding?

Since September 2014 all children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 have automatically been entitled to a free school lunch. However, registering for pupil premium could raise an extra £4,610 for the school. These funds enable our school to take strengthen our curriculum offer, invest in additional staff, CPD, buy additional equipment to support learning and bring in activities to the benefit all children. Being in receipt of the pupil premium fund will also entitle your child to support with the cost of school visits and clubs.
Schools are currently given Pupil Premium funding per pupil for those whose families who have registered for Free School Meals (FSM) or who have been registered for FSM at any point during the past 6 years. The children of members of the armed forces are also entitled to funding.
In addition, schools receive funding for each pupil who are looked after children who have been looked after continuously for more than six months or have been adopted from care.

How is the funding used?

The key purpose of the Pupil Premium funding is to enable all pupils to reach their full potential. Each school may decide how best to use the funding to enable all its pupils to reach age related expectations and are held accountable for how it has been used to support pupils from low income families. Details of how Pupil Premium funding is used at Blackheath can be found below.
At Blackheath, we recognise that barriers to achievement take a variety of forms both in and out of the classroom. We use all our resources to ensure that every child has an equal opportunity to become an empowered learner. In order to achieve this we offer our children a wide range of opportunities, and are accessible for everyone who would benefit from these. We work with our families and colleagues to make sure everyone has high aspirations for all pupils.
As a school in receipt of Pupil Premium funding, we are accountable to our parents and school community for how we are using this additional resource to narrow the achievement gaps of our pupils.

Schools must show how they are using their pupil premium effectively:

By publishing a statement on their website which presents an overview of their pupil premium strategy, and demonstrates that their use of the funding meets the requirements of the conditions of grant
Through inspections by Ofsted- inspectors may discuss plans schools have to spend their pupil premium
Through scrutiny of pupil premium plans by governors and trustees

Schools are also held to account for the outcomes achieved by their disadvantaged pupils.

As a school we publish the relevant information required. In meeting this requirement we will observe our continuing responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 1998, so that individuals or groups of individuals, including children funded through the Service Premium cannot be identified.

How can I find out if my child is entitled to the Pupil Premium funding?

The following groups are eligible for pupil premium:

pupils who are recorded as eligible for free school meals, or have been recorded as eligible in the past 6 years, including eligible children of families who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF)
children looked after by local authorities, referred to as looked-after children
children previously looked after by a local authority or other state care, referred to as previously looked-after children

The process for applying is straightforward and confidential. You can check online using a ‘Free School Meals / Pupil Premium Service’ at https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/FreeSchoolMeals

After entering essential details into the web site, the online application process links to the Department for Education system for checking eligibility and gives an immediate ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response, and will notify our school. Alternatively, you can speak to a member of staff, who will be able to assist you through this process. All enquires will be treated in confidence.

What are the barriers to our Pupil premium children?

The main barriers our disadvantaged children face are around:

Knowledge of the world, (In particular restricting cultural capital and creative writing)
Well being/Mental health (Impacting on behaviour, learning and socialising)
Attitude and engagement in reading/phonics (Home and school) which in turn impacts on writing
Speech and language
Attendance
Low aspiration/Learning attitudes & behaviours which can reduce potential attainment across curricular areas
Low levels of parental engagement, domestic related issues, social and emotional needs

How we will make decisions regarding the use of the pupil premium?

In making decisions on the use of the Pupil Premium we will:
Ensure that Pupil Premium funding allocated to our school is used solely for its intended purpose. We also recognise that the Direct Schools Grant (DSG) has an element of deprivation funding included in it to address the attainment of our disadvantaged pupils.
Use the latest evidence based research on proven strategies which work to narrow the attainment gaps and adapt these as necessary to meet the needs of our pupils.
Be transparent in our reporting of how we have used the Pupil Premium, so that our parents, interested stakeholders and Ofsted are fully aware of how this additional resource has been used to make a difference.
Encourage take up of FSM by working proactively with our parents and carers in a sensitive and supportive manner and to remove any potential barriers or stigma attached to claiming FSM. In doing so, we also recognise the vital role that parents and carers play in the lives of their children.
Be mindful of the fact that eligibility and take up of FSM does not equate with pupils being considered to be of ‘low ability’ because of their social circumstances.
Ensure there is robust monitoring and evaluation in place to account for the use of the Pupil Premium, by the school and governing body.
Recognise the fact that FSM pupils are not a homogeneous group and cover a wide range of needs. As such the strategies we use to raise attainment will take these group and individual needs fully into account.
Use high quality teaching and learning as the preferred way to narrow the gaps in attainment in the first instance. We will also use high quality interventions with proven evidence of impact to assist our pupils who need additional support in a time limited way.
Use the Pupil Premium is used for all year groups not just those taking examinations at the end of the year.

Therefore at Blackheath Primary we have chosen to use the allocation for the pupil premium to diminish the differences as follows:

PP strategy 2023-26 (including evaluation up until 2024)

The Pupil Premium Strategy is reviewed on a regular basis, evaluated yearly and updated accordingly in line with pupil needs.